The Hufflepuff
by Rederra
Summary: Everything is changing for Eleanor Wicks, a witch going into her fifth year at Hogwarts, rumours abound that 'He Who Must Not Be Named' is back while the Ministry do the best they can to deny it. With Professor Umbridge starting at Hogwarts, Prefect Duties and the surly Slytherin Draco Malfoy interrupting her studies how is she ever supposed to pass her OWLs?
1. Chapter 1

It was the evening of September 1st and another school year at Hogwarts was just beginning. Eleanor Wicks made her way off of the Hogwarts Express guiding the second years over to where the carriages were waiting with the other prefects whom she had just met earlier on the train.

She didn't know much about the two Ravenclaw prefects and Ernie Macmillan, the other Hufflepuff prefect was far from what she'd call a friend, though she had no animosity with him. Then there were the two Gryffindors; Hermione Granger - the know-it-all that Eleanor often found herself competing with in class and Ronald Weasley, both of whom she knew to be the best friends of Harry Potter.

But despite not knowing more than any of their names they were definitely preferable to the two Slytherin prefects Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Pansy, unlike the others was a well known acquaintance of Eleanor's after all, Pansy had made it her obligation to be positively foul to Eleanor ever since they had met.

When all the second years had found their way into a carriage Eleanor turned back towards the train, searching the remaining crowd for Cynthia, her friend of five years now and a constant source of bubbly energy and scathing sarcasm.

It doesn't take long to find Cynthia since over the holidays she dyed her hair a vivid bubblegum blue and even in the darkness of the evening it stood out amongst the other students. On seeing Eleanor approaching Cynthia hurries forward, grabbing hold of her friend and jumping into the next available carriage talking at a mile a minute.

"I love what you've done with your hair!" Eleanor says as Cynthia ruffles up the short pixie haircut she now had.

Eleanor's own hair was currently making its way out of the sloppy bun she'd made earlier, blonde wisps blowing in her face every few seconds much to her annoyance.

The carriage sets off, winding along the road that will bring them to the front door of Hogwarts, Cynthia begins to rummage in the pockets of her robes while Eleanor hangs her head out of the carriage, craning her neck for a glimpse of the castle.

"Chocolate?" Cynthia asks.

"Ooh gimme," says Eleanor reaching for the block.

"The start of year feast is less than an hour away and you're going to stuff your face with chocolate?" Says Cynthia's older brother Reggie incredulously, straightening his Ravenclaw blue tie and frowning at the two of us.

"Exactly. The feast is like an hour away, I'm gonna need some sustenance so I can sit through the sorting." Cynthia retorts, breaking off another piece of chocolate.

"Wonder who they've got as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Eleanor says aloud as they climb out of the carriage, distracting Reggie from the fact that Cynthia had now finished the whole block of chocolate.

"Dunno, I just hope it's not another Lockhart incident. I don't think I can handle having an inadequate teacher again," sighs Reggie, spotting some of his friends and leaving Cynthia and Eleanor to enter the castle alone.

Ahead of them Eleanor spies Harry Potter and his group of friends heading into the hall.

"Have you seen what the Prophet's been saying about him?" Cynthia asks, dropping her voice as they follow them in.

"Not really, dad doesn't bother with the Prophet very much. Is it something to do with Cedric?"

Eleanor watches as her friend shrinks a little upon hearing his name and regrets saying it, he had been a friend of hers before the unthinkable tragedy had occurred last year.

"They're saying that it was an accident. That Harry and Professor Dumbledore are lying about you-know-who being back to stir up trouble for the Minister."

"Please, I doubt even a troll could believe that. Why on earth would Professor Dumbledore want to cause the Ministry trouble? And you knew Cedric, there's no way he just dropped dead of his own volition."

Sitting down at the Hufflepuff table they look towards the Gryffindors, a surge of sympathy bubbling up in Eleanor as she notices the way others are whispering and staring at Harry whenever they think he isn't looking, no doubt discussing the same thing she and Cynthia were.

Suddenly everyone in the hall falls silent and turns their attention to the first years who have just entered the hall, all of them glancing everywhere around the hall as they make their way forward. While watching them enter Cynthia nudges Eleanor, nodding her head towards the staff table where an unfamiliar witch is sitting.

Her face, though smiling looks insincere and she wears an ugly pink cardigan over her robes with a bow on top of her head. Not at all what Eleanor had expected of the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

With all the first years now assembled in the hall Professor McGonagall places the sorting hat onto the same small, spindly stool everyone in the hall had sat on at one point to be sorted. As it did every year the rip near the brim of the hat opens and it begins to sing the annual pre-sorting song.

_In times of old when I was new_

_And Hogwarts barely started_

_The founders of our noble school_

_Thought never to be parted:_

_United by a common goal,_

_They had the selfsame yearning,_

_To make the world's best magic school_

_And pass along their learning._

"_Together we will build and teach!"_

_The four good friends decided_

_And never did they dream that they_

_Might someday be divided,_

_For were there such friends anywhere_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?_

_So how could it have gone so wrong?_

_How could such friendships fail?_

_Why, I was there and so can tell_

_The whole sad, sorry tale._

_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those_

_Whose ancestry is purest."_

_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_

_Intelligence is surest."_

_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_

_With brave deeds to their name,"_

_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,_

_And treat them just the same."_

_These differences caused little strife_

_When first they came to light,_

_For each of the four founders had_

_A House in which they might_

_Take only those they wanted, so,_

_For instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pure-blood wizards_

_Of great cunning, just like him,_

_And only those of sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and the boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor._

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,_

_And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus the Houses and their founders_

_Retained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy years,_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our faults and fears._

_The Houses that, like pillars four,_

_Had once held up our school,_

_Now turned upon each other and,_

_Divided, sought to rule._

_And for a while it seemed the school_

_Must meet an early end,_

_What with dueling and with fighting_

_And the clash of friend on friend_

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downhearted._

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whittled down to three_

_Have the Houses been united_

_As they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into Houses_

_Because that is what I'm for,_

_But this year I'll go further,_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether sorting_

_May not bring the end I fear._

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within._

_I have told you, I have warned you…_

_Let the Sorting now begin._

Applause ripples around the room, mixed with the murmurings of students discussing the sorting hats warning. Eleanor and Cynthia are no exception, leaning in to whisper to each other.

"That was new," says Cynthia.

"Yeah, doesn't sound like he's too keen on splitting everyone up," Eleanor replies.

From the front of the hall McGonagall calls for a silence, shocked at the audacity of everyone in the hall to talk over the sorting. A hush falls over the room as one by one the first years are called up to the hat who announces which of the four houses they will belong to.

A timid girl approaches the Hufflepuff table, taking a seat by Hannah Abbott just as the sorting finishes and Dumbledore stands up from his chair at the staff table.

"Tuck in," he says. The golden plates on each of the four tables are suddenly brimming with food, Eleanor and Cynthia waste no time in filling their plates, picking out their favourite foods and for the next few minutes they have nothing to say but exclamations for the wonderful work of the Hogwarts house elves.

After the last desserts fade away from the plates and everyone is full and sated Dumbledore again rises from his seat to make his usual announcements, reminding everyone that the forbidden forest is out of bounds to everyone and that Filch has posted a notice of banned items outside his office.

"I would also like to introduce the two new additions we have to our teaching staff," says Dumbledore, "Professor Grubbly-Plank will be filling in as a substitute for Care of Magical Creatures and Professor Umbridge has kindly agreed to be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Finally Quidditch tryouts will be held… ."

"_Hem hem."_

Dumbledore stops mid-sentence, looking to the witch in the pink cardigan - Umbridge, who had just taken it upon herself to interrupt his speech, something that no teacher had ever done and indeed, Professor McGonagall looked especially scandalised as Umbridge began to make her own speech to the students.

After listening for a few minutes Cynthia turns away and begins to whisper with Eleanor again, around them other students also seem to lose interest and chat amongst themselves. Despite the growing noise in the hall Umbridge continues on with her well rehearsed speech and Eleanor begins to gaze uninterestedly around the Hall waiting for her to finish.

At the Gryffindor table Hermione Granger is looking attentively at the witch who is still speaking but her face shows only disgust and Eleanor smiles at the idea of Hermione Granger outwardly showing dislike for any Professor.

"Hmm?" says Eleanor when Cynthia pulls her to her feet.

"It's over."

Snapping out of the haze she had fallen into Eleanor hurries to catch up to Ernie Macmillan who was already leading the first years out of the hall in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room.

"Sorry," she says as she catches up. Beside them the Slytherin prefects Malfoy and Pansy are also guiding their first years down to their dungeon common room, Malfoy sneering in Eleanor's direction as they pass each other. "Jerk."

Turning her full attention to helping escort the Hufflepuffs they pass by the portrait that Eleanor knows to lead to the kitchen, stopping at a group of barrels that are half hidden in the shadows.

"So you just tap the barrel two from the bottom and second in the middle row to the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff," Eleanor says, as Ernie demonstrates this to the first years, the barrel springing open and revealing the entrance to the common room. "And do try not to forget, otherwise you'll find yourself rather wet and smelling of vinegar."

With nothing more to say Eleanor steps aside, allowing the first years to follow Ernie through to the common room, taking up the rear. Once inside Eleanor is reminded of just how cosy the common room is, a few of the older students are sitting on puffy yellow couches or by the low, round windows through which you can just make out the grass in the night sky beyond.

When they have finished showing the first years the dormitories Eleanor bids a quick farewell to Ernie and goes off to her own dorm where Cynthia is lying, sprawled out on one of the patchwork quilt covered beds, a custard coloured puffskein lying in her hand humming.

She spies her own trunk at the foot of the bed next to Cynthia's, a wicker basket perched on top, slightly open.

"I already let him out," Cynthia says, seeing where Eleanor had been looking, "He didn't hang around, went straight for the door."

Eleanor waves her hand, at ease with this information knowing that Ollie was probably in the kitchen being spoiled beyond belief by the house elves. Full bellied and tired, it didn't take long for the two girls to change into their pyjamas and climb into bed, bidding each other good night.


	2. Chapter 2

As the sun rose the next morning the Hufflepuff common room began to fill with students busying themselves with getting ready for breakfast and the first classes of the year. Eleanor and Cynthia had already changed into their robes and were curled up by the fire crackling merrily away. The fluffy white cat, Ollie a purring ball of fur in Eleanor's lap.

"I wonder what classes we'll have today," says Cynthia, hugging a steaming mug of hot chocolate close to her body.

Before Eleanor can reply a house elf appears in the middle of the common room, looking around for a brief moment, his big round eyes landing on Eleanor.

"Ah Miss," he says in a bright, chirpy voice, "Professor Snape would like to see you in his office before you go to breakfast."

His message delivered the elf leaves the room as suddenly as he had appeared and Eleanor sighs, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"I should probably go now then."

Handing Ollie over to Cynthia she exits the Hufflepuff common room and makes her way down to the Potion Master's office where both Professor Snape and McGonagall along with the Slytherin Prefect Malfoy are waiting.

"You wanted to see me Professor?" She says, knocking on the door to his office, a feeling of dread in her gut that she got whenever she was around the disgruntled potions master.

"Come in Miss Wicks. I assume you two know each other," Professor Snape says as Eleanor takes the spare seat beside Malfoy.

They both glance at each other, the pale sneering face of Malfoy looking Eleanor up and down scathingly.

"Not well." She says, answering for the both of them. "But yes, we are acquainted."

From the side of the room McGonagall steps forward, her face set into her usual stern gaze, "It has come to our attention that the two of you are wanting to pursue alchemy class for your NEWT next year."

Eleanor glances sideways at the pale boy whose pointed face lightens a little at the mentioning of this subject. "I did mention my interest at the end of the year to Professor Snape, but that was only to see if it would even be possible," he says.

Professor McGonagall continues to talk, allowing Professor Snape to continue to sit in sullen silence in his seat.

"Normally we would leave any discussion of NEWT subjects until careers advice later in the year, however, considering the nature of this class we feel it would be best if we make you aware of the requirements now to give yourselves the chance to prepare for your OWLs."

"Therefore," says Snape, finally joining the conversation and cutting off Professor McGonagall, who stares scathingly at him for just a second, "We have decided that you each could improve your grades - Eleanor in Potions and you Draco in Transfiguration and since you will be the only students taking alchemy together it has been… suggested by the headmaster that you each tutor one another in your weaker class, to ensure that you receive the grades required to enter alchemy next year."

Eleanor and Draco each realise at the same time what they're being told, a look of absolute disgust spreading across both of their faces. Obviously sensing refusal McGonagall steps in again.

"This is not negotiable. If you wish to obtain the passing marks you will agree to tutor one another, Miss Wicks will provide you Mister Malfoy with assistance in Transfiguration and Mister Malfoy will help Miss Wicks with Potions. Agreed?"

McGonagall stares evenly at the two of them over her spectacles as they wordlessly nod their heads in defeat.

"Good, now you may go to breakfast. I trust you will be capable of working out a time to discuss the details further with one another yourselves."

Without another word McGonagall strides from the dark office, Eleanor not long behind her as she leaves a complaining Draco Malfoy with Professor Snape. Entering the Great Hall it doesn't take long to spot Cynthia with her colourful hair still messy from sleep as she adds another piece of toast to her already full plate.

As she takes a seat beside her the head of Hufflepuff house Professor Sprout walks past, handing out timetables for the year.

"Hmm, History of Magic first," says Eleanor, "Then double Defence Against the Dark Arts, Ancient Runes and finally double Potions."

Cynthia scrunches up her face on hearing this last class, "So what did Professor Snape want?"

"He and McGonagall have told Malfoy and I that if we want to get into alchemy next year we need to tutor each other in our weaker subject."

Choking a little on the food in her mouth Cynthia manages to reply, "You and Malfoy? Tutoring each other? But, you're great in class!"

"Well, Potions isn't my best I will admit. Anyway, it mightn't be too bad, I'm not in Gryffindor at least so he won't hold that against me."

"You're way too willing to see the good in people Eleanor, that boy is a stuck up prat if you ask me."

Eleanor grins at her best friend, once again displaying her cynical attitude that sometimes made it hard to believe she had been placed in Hufflepuff. She hurries to eat some breakfast before they head off to their first class where Professor Binns glides in and begins his lecture right away, not really noticing who is paying attention and who isn't - which is all of them.

Every now and then Cynthia will jot down a note or two but mostly she and Eleanor spend their time talking in hushed voices until they are dismissed where they make their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"I wonder what she'll be like," Cynthia says as they approach the classroom.

"After last night, I don't have high hopes."

Professor Umbridge is already waiting at her desk when they arrive, a fluffy pink cardigan on accompanied by a smile that seemed highly suspect. When everyone is seated, no one saying a word, she flicks her wand and neat writing appears on the board beside her.

_Defence Against the Dark Arts_

_A return to basic principals_

"Has everybody got a copy of _Defensive Magical Theory?_" She asks, her voice agonisingly high pitched.

The class nod their heads in unison, pulling the textbook from their bags.

"Good, everyone will turn to chapter one and read. There will be no need to talk."

In silence Eleanor opens the book and begins to read, realising within a few minutes that this was going to be just as boring as History of Magic - if not worse when the lines began to blur as she loses focus.

"That. Was. Awful." She says to Cynthia the moment they are well away from the classroom.

"I know, I finished the chapter within the first twenty minutes. Sat there doing nothing for the rest of class, what a waste."

Reaching the end of the marble staircase they head towards the Great Hall when a voice calls out from behind them.

"Wicks."

Turning around Eleanor comes face to face with Draco Malfoy, his entourage of friends waiting for him further down the corridor.

"Yes Malfoy?"

"Professor Snape suggested we arrange a day to meet to start off this tuition stuff as soon as possible, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

"Nothing I guess."

"Great then we can get this started in the library then." Not waiting for a reply Draco turns on his heel and stalks away to where his friends are waiting.

"Rather you than me," mutters Cynthia to her friend as they continue on their way for food and then off to the rest of their classes for the day.

"Did you hear what happened in the Gryffindor Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson?"

"Harry said he saw Cedric die."

"...Fought you-know-who."

The whispers were coming from all directions as Eleanor and Cynthia at dinner in the Great Hall tonight while everyone around them relayed what they had heard about the scene that had occurred in the Gryffindor class when Harry Potter had confronted the new teacher.

"I don't like her," Eleanor says, looking in the direction of a smug looking Professor Umbridge, "And I'm glad Hermione said something about that book because there is no way we're passing our OWLs based on that."

Beside her Cynthia nods in agreement, "I sucked at that class even with a good teacher like Lupin, now, with her teaching us I've got no hope."

The next day, when Eleanor had no classes left she entered the library, Madam Pince shushing her before she'd even set two feet inside. Scanning the aisles and the desks dotted about she finally found the surly Slytherin Prefect, leaning back in his chair waiting for her.

"I'm here, sorry I had Herbology, came as quick as I could." Slipping into the seat opposite him she waits for him to start.

"I can't stay too long," he finally looks up, "I have prefect duties tonight, but we should establish when we're going to meet to go over each other's work."

Caught off guard by how straight to the point he was being without any snide comments Eleanor simply stares for a minute before snapping to attention, "Right yes, well I don't play Quidditch so I don't have any training commitments, just Prefect duties on Wednesday nights."

They spend several minutes lining up their timetables and accounting for Malfoy's quidditch practice before finally settling on two nights a week, Friday and Sunday. With night time quickly approaching Malfoy scoops up his bag, leaving the library without another word to Eleanor who returns to the common room and sleep shortly after.


	3. Chapter 3

On Wednesday Eleanor trailed along beside Cynthia as they made their way outside into a surprisingly warm day for their Herbology class with the Gryffindors.

"Tryouts are this afternoon," says Cynthia for the fifth time that morning.

"I'm not gonna miss them," Eleanor says, "Who would you have to take such great shots of the newly formed Hufflepuff team if I did?"

A smile tugs at the corner of Cynthia's mouth. The walls of the Hufflepuff common room were adorned with pictures of every Hufflepuff team they had had since Eleanor had started at Hogwarts and found her love for developing the moving pictures.

"Are you going for chaser again this year?"

"Probably. I had thought, you know, that I'd really like Seeker - but what with Ced-. Nevermind, I'm used to playing chaser anyway."

Eleanor turns to look at Cynthia whose face has become clouded, brows furrowed like she's deep in thought. "He would've said to go for it, he was always fair and there is no way that he would want you to miss out on an opportunity like this."

Before she can reply to this Professor Sprout emerges from one of the greenhouses and calls everyone into class. Inside Eleanor notices the odd behaviour of some of the Gryffindors who keep casting glances towards the back of the group where Harry Potter is standing with his friends.

"Let's join them," Eleanor says, pointing the group out to Cynthia who hesitates only a second or two before following.

As they join the group, muttering a quiet hello and Cynthia staring down Lavender Brown who is blatantly watching them, Eleanor watches her fellow prefect Ernie Macmillan approach.

"I'd just like to say Harry, I believe in you one hundred percent. My family has always stood firmly behind Dumbledore and so do I."

Eleanor smiles a little at the ever pompous Ernie also making an effort to show Harry that at least the Hufflepuffs weren't going to judge him - apparently unlike the rest of Gryffindor, several of which look deeply perturbed by Ernie's declaration.

Cynthia, who still seems to be internally struggling with her recently proclaimed desire to be seeker, also turns to Harry, "Yeah Cedric was a good friend and the fact that beast of a woman is making you serve detention for standing up to her about what happened with him and you-know-who is disgusting."

With that the conversation is apparently over and as class begins Eleanor and Cynthia work in silence with Harry and his friends until the end of the lesson. Walking out of the greenhouse, covered in considerably more dirt and stickier than when they walked in Eleanor calls out goodluck to Cynthia before hurrying off to the Hufflepuff common room to change quickly into clean pants and a shirt, snatching up her camera on the way out into the corridor.

The walk down to the Quidditch pitch was fairly quiet as anyone going to see the tryouts had gone straight after class and there were only a few students returning to the castle. Eleanor hoped she could borrow Cynthia's cloak to watch tryouts as the sun crept closer to the horizon and she scolded herself for not thinking ahead.

A dozen or so students are up in the stands watching the tryouts that have already begun. Knowing the captain won't mind her being on the ground as long as it means there are decent pictures of the team Eleanor heads straight across to where Cynthia is pacing on the spot.

"I'm just going to go for chaser," she says when Eleanor is in earshot, despite the fact that she clearly can't take her focus off of anything but the little golden snitch that is sitting away in the trunk to the side of the field.

"No. You're not."

Summerby, the captain is a few feet away talking to some other hopeful students when Eleanor marches up to him, Cynthia watching in a mixture of awe and horror.

"Have you found a seeker yet?" Eleanor asks, pulling Summerby away from his conversation.

As usual with the students in Hufflepuff who had known Cedric he blanches a little at this reference to the fact that they no longer had Cedric.

"No, not yet-"

"Good, Cynthia wants to try out for seeker, not chaser."

"You didn't have to do that El," Cynthia says after a whispered thankyou to Eleanor when she got back to her.

"You certainly weren't going to."

"Yeah well, I was worried it would seem a bit - insensitive to do it, I mean he was great at seeker and-"

"He was an excellent seeker, but that doesn't change the fact that the team is in need of a new one. Cedric wouldn't have wanted the team to just stop existing because he isn't here to play, and just because there's a new seeker doesn't mean you're forgetting him. Also, can I please borrow a cardigan, I left mine in the castle"

Summerby whistles loudly and begins to call up people to try out, Cynthia seeming to have regained some of her energy and confidence hugs Eleanor quickly, pointing her to the benches by the side of the field where a spare jumper sits before grabbing her broom and speeding up into the air.

As the people watching in the stands call out encouragement to their friends Eleanor pulls out her camera and begins snapping photos of the tryouts, the bite of the cold kept at bay by the job ahead of her and the newly donned jumper as she ensures she captures every moment she can.

When the sun has set the team is finally settled and after a few proper photos of all of them together inside the illuminated changing rooms Eleanor and Cynthia run arm in arm back up to the castle.

"I'm going to be late," Eleanor laughs as her friend and newest seeker for Hufflepuff lags behind her.

"You go ahead, I'll see you when you're back from Prefect duties tonight - if I can stay awake," Cynthia says.

Eleanor arrives, breathless in the corridor that marks the start of her route, to her horror Cynthia's brother Reggie is standing there waiting. He watches bemusedly as she clutches her side, bending in half her face as red as the rubies in the Gryffindor hourglass.

"Try… Outs," she manages to say, pointing somewhere in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch as she recovers from her sprint, finally straightening to look him in the face. It struck her suddenly that over the summer he had changed quite dramatically, gone was the tall, gangly boy she and Cynthia had teased and annoyed.

He seemed to have filled out, his height complementing a more muscular frame and his face more defined then it had been before making him look much smarter and - with his curly dark hair framing his face - more handsome. His blue eyes matched his Ravenclaw colours flawlessly and-

_Woah what?! Since when did you know what colour his eyes were? _

Heat erupts across Eleanor's face and she's convinced that it's no longer possible to turn any redder.

"Since when do you play Quidditch?" He asks, absolutely oblivious to the thoughts exploding inside her mind, matching the feeling of fireworks going off in her stomach when she realises that even his voice sounds deeper and much more manly.

"Who plays Quidditch?" She says, still out of breath and unable to focus but now from more than just the run. "I mean. Cynthia. Cynthia plays Quidditch, I went to watch the tryouts."

Walking down the corridor now so no teacher can scold them for not doing their duties Eleanor continues to fight with her thoughts.

_Absolutely not! There is no way this can be Reggie. I've passed out. That's it, I am so unfit that the run from the grounds to here has exhausted me to the point of hallucinations._

True it had been dark in the carriages up to Hogwarts their first night back and she really had barely looked at him, but could she really have not noticed such a big difference?

_Why does it even matter? So what, he's 17 he was bound to grow up sooner or later. Okay you didn't think he'd be quite so gorgeous but- wait, GORGEOUS?! No. This just is not happening._

"Are you okay El?"

There they were again, fireworks in her stomach. Trying her best to ignore the feeling she smiles and nods.

"Yeah, just still puffed from, you know, running."

"Right. Get any good photos?" He asks, pointing out the camera that was still hanging around her neck.

"I think so, won't really know until I develop them."

For the rest of their walk Eleanor continues to sneak glances at the new Reggie beside her, scolding herself whenever she does and by the time she returns to the common room to get ready for bed her face is still red and Reggie is convinced she somehow got sunburned.

Climbing into bed, Cynthia already snoring soundly in her own, Eleanor decides that she shouldn't say anything. It was just the shock of seeing him so grown up, there was absolutely no way she could tell Cynthia she thought her brother was cute. Because he wasn't. Definitely not.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Friday afternoon began to draw to a close and classes ended for the week Eleanor was convinced that the evening tuition with Malfoy was going to be a complete disaster. Leaving Cynthia who was going for an early dinner in the Great Hall, she continued up to the library with her notes for transfiguration and potions from the past week.

Walking inside the silent library she makes a beeline for the same desk Malfoy had been at last time, ensuring to stay well away from the ever grouchy librarian Madam Pince. While waiting she looks around and only sees two other students nearby, by the looks of it doing research for an essay.

"Can we get started?" Malfoy drawls, dropping down in the seat opposite Eleanor who had been too preoccupied watching the two third years frown and stare in bewilderment at the parchment in front of them to see him walk in.

"Wha- uh, yeah. Yes."

"Potions or Transfiguration first?"

"Well, from the amount of work you brought with you Transfiguration first, as it seems you haven't finished the homework for it yet."

For a fraction of a second Malfoy looks almost bashful, "Are you saying you have finished the homework?"

"I've finished the work for every class," Eleanor says, "It's easy to get it all done if you do it as soon as it's assigned. Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today?"

"That's disgustingly practical."

"And yet, of the two of us _I_ will be the one to enjoy my weekend to its fullest potential."

Apparently unable to fault this line of thinking any further Draco sighs and pushes his transfiguration notes towards Eleanor. For several hours they work in a stifling silence, Eleanor looking over Malfoy's notes and helping him add more details before moving on to his essay and making suggestions as he wrote.

As long as the topic was purely academic Malfoy seemed content to follow instruction without any snide comments. But with the noise of students heading off to bed and the knowledge that dinner was likely finished downstairs Eleanor found it harder and harder to concentrate.

"Can we finish here? Pick up with Potions on Sunday?" She asks, stretching in her chair and looking out for Madam Pince as she reaches into the bag beside her and withdraws a block of chocolate.

"I guess. And don't eat that in here, I'm fairly sure the librarian would have a fit and I'll deduct points from you if you do." Malfoy drawls, packing up his work.

"I'm a prefect too Malfoy, you can't take points from me," she says ripping open the packet and popping a piece into her mouth.

"Whatever." Mutters Draco, stalking off into the corridor.

Eleanor gathers up her own belongings, taking her time so that she wouldn't have to walk with him down to the lower floors.

As she'd suspected the Great Hall was closed when she passed, the thought of having missed dinner making her stomach rumble even louder so that in the empty hall it almost echoed. Walking down to the Hufflepuff common room, the portrait of food taunting her as she passed the idea suddenly hits her. The kitchens! Surely the elves wouldn't mind if she made the food herself.

Doubling back and reaching up on her toes to reach the pear she tickles it until it opens and climbs through the hole to find the kitchen, a mixture of delicious smells wafting through the air from the numerous meals that are cooked inside. Elves bustle about tidying up the last of the dinner mess, a few of them sitting in the kitchen talking while they wait to go off and clean the common rooms when everyone is asleep.

"Hi Dobby," she calls out to the only free house elf she'd ever met who had several knobbly hats on his head and a pair of bright odd socks pulled up over his legs.

"Miss Wicks. So good to see you!" The elf squeaks, jumping up and running over to greet her. "Winky will be so happy for a visit from you too."

Eleanor follows Dobby over to the continually gloomy Winky, who she had met the previous year during one of her many trips into the kitchens to visit the elves.

"Hi Winky, how are you?" She asks tentatively, greatly aware that any word phrased the wrong way could send her into an emotional ball of tears.

The elf manages a nod of the head before shuffling off into another room. Dobby watching her walk away before turning back to Eleanor.

"She's happier than normal at least," says Eleanor looking around the kitchens again and wondering what smelt so delicious.

"Dobby. Where are the other elves? I can see the group for Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin common rooms all waiting to head out, but where are the ones who clean Gryffindor tower?"

"Oh. Well, someone has started leaving these wonderful hats all over the common room under pieces of rubbish, just waiting for a house elf to pick them up and be free. But - well, the others still don't want that and they just refuse to clean the tower anymore. So Dobby does it by himself."

_And takes and wears every single hat left out as well by the looks of it._

"But that's not fair on you is it?"

"Dobby doesn't mind Miss. Harry Potter is in the tower and it gives Dobby a chance to see him if he's lucky."

The elf's eyes brighten up like light bulbs, a smile pulling on his mouth as he mentions Harry's name. Another elf sidles up beside the two, tapping lightly on Eleanor's hand.

"Here you are Miss," says the elf, holding up a plate of delicious smelling food still steaming from the ovens. Taking the plate from the elf she thanks him, insisting that next time she misses dinner she'll make it herself so as not to trouble them.

"It's no trouble Miss." The elf smiles as she sits with the group waiting to clean the dorms and devours the food greedily, Ollie stalking into the kitchen to the delight of some of the elves who take turns petting the cat.

When the plate is licked clean, washed and put away Eleanor bids goodnight to the elves, scooping Ollie into her arms and returning to the Hufflepuff common room where Cynthia is sitting up with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot playing a game of exploding snap.

"How was it? Absolutely horrid no doubt."

"It was okay I guess. Doing the work is fine, but whenever he opens his mouth it's just sass and snide comments. I don't think he actually knows how to say something nice."

Finishing their game Cynthia follows Eleanor into the dorm, Ollie jumping down to curl up on the end of a bed while the two girls fill each other in on their evenings.

The next morning Eleanor relishes sleeping in late in bed, the dormitory deliciously warm as sunlight spills in through the low set windows from the early morning sun. When she finally pulls back the curtains around her bed the rest of the dorm is empty except for Ollie who is basking in the sun.

Out in the common room a few students are gathered around the tables finishing off homework and playing wizard's chess. Making her way to the Great Hall she finds Cynthia a half a dozen pancakes into breakfast and moving on to bacon and sausages.

"Morning," she chirps as Eleanor sits beside her, "Wanna come down to the Quidditch Pitch after breakfast? It's beautiful outside and even if you don't play it's still fun to fly around every now and then."

"Yeah why not, got nothing else to do," smiles Eleanor helping herself to her own breakfast before following Cynthia outside.

Blinking back dark spots as her eyes adjust to the brightness of the sun,they link arms and march down to the pitch, passing other students enjoying the first weekend of the year. One group in particular catches Eleanor's eye lounging by the lake and laughing with each other, her face warms and she averts her eyes once she realises that Reggie is the boy laughing the loudest.

"So, I was talking with Susan last night," says Cynthia, "and she said she'd love to help us write articles for a school newspaper, reckons she's got a load of ideas already. I think we should just go to Dumbledore and ask for permission to start working on it."

The school news paper was an idea that Cynthia and Eleanor had been working on ever since third year when Eleanor found some of Cynthia's letters to home that were so detailed and well written she'd insisted she would make an excellent journalist.

"And what would we call it?" She asks, spotting a couple of Gryffindors flying around the pitch already, "Mind if we join?"

With a thumbs up from one of the pair they head into the changing rooms to grab their brooms.

"Well Hannah suggested, since so far it's just Hufflepuff's who'd be writing and posting it, that we could name it Hufflepost."

"Hmm, I like it."

Back out on the pitch they mount their brooms, racing each other twice around the pitch before turning to join the others on the field who turned out to be Harry and Ron Weasley - apparently Gryffindor's new keeper.

They take turns passing the Quaffle around before trying to shoot to give Ron some practice, Eleanor laughing and whooping as the wind tears through her hair as she races against Harry to catch the stray ball, knowing she'll never beat a firebolt.

By the time they all head back up to the castle to get lunch, Ron seems far more improved considering how he started, and Eleanor is coated in a layer of sweat well aware that tomorrow she would ache from spending so long flying around.

"Yeah, Hermione would be the one knitting all the hats," laughs Harry when Eleanor informs him about Dobby. "She's made this group called S.P.E.W. for elf freedom - whether they want it or not."

"Do you mind if I come and say hello to her, I wanna hear more about what she thinks," Cynthia says, a mischievous smile telling Eleanor that what she really wanted was to see if she could convince Hermione to let her write about S.P.E.W. in the not yet existent Hufflepost.

Following Harry and Ron over to the Gryffindor table they sit opposite from the bushy haired Hermione Granger who smiled and, after scolding the boys for not doing their homework, is beyond thrilled to tell Cynthia and Eleanor all about S.P.E.W. and it's aims.

Cynthia actually becomes quite interested, signing Hermione's list to join S.P.E.W. and adding her own thoughts to the issue. Eleanor though is only half listening as she watches Malfoy stalk into the Hall, surrounded by the goons Crabbe and Goyle and Pansy Parkinson simpering like a little puppy behind him.

_He walks around as if he's too good for this place._

Suddenly he looks towards the exact spot where Harry and the rest of them are sitting, his eyes passing over Eleanor for a moment before they snap back to her, fixing her in his arrogant gaze. With a scoff he turns away and continues on to the Slytherin table just as the others begin to get up.

Harry and Ron head back out for Gryffindor team training and Hermione says something about homework, leaving Cynthia and Eleanor alone in the Entrance Hall.

"You know, she might be annoying in class, but she really is so unique in her ideas about elf rights," Cynthia says as she watches Hermione walk away.

"You really want to write about stuff for the school?" Eleanor asks, knowing her friend will only return to the common room and dream about the articles she could create.

"More than anything."

"Come on then."

Taking Cynthia's hand Eleanor leads the way to Dumbledore's office, the Gargoyle that stands outside it letting them through when Eleanor gives it the password.

"How-"

"Just guessed, he's always got some type of candy on him."

Inside Dumbledore's office is the whirring of numerous gadgets and gizmos, none of which Eleanor has seen before. The walls are lined with portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses and, as the centrepiece of the room a great red and golden bird - a phoenix is perched, observing them with one eye.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

The headmaster is seated behind his desk, half moon spectacles perched precariously on the bridge of his nose.

"Yes Miss Wicks, Miss Kayde. What can I do for you?"

"We would like to ask sir, that is, to request permission to start a, a magazine of sorts," Cynthia says, glancing sidelong at Eleanor for assistance in convincing him.

"With articles about clubs and Quidditch, pictures of the Halloween feast and different stories, t-to ensure everyone knows what's going on in the school."

Dumbledore holds up a hand, silencing the two of them. Cynthia clutches onto Eleanor's hand, squeezing it tight for luck.

"As it so happens, I have been waiting for you two to come and ask about this for quite some time. You promise the stories will be appropriate? And should others want they will be given the chance to sign up to it? And you will ensure it treats all houses equally?"

"Yessir." They say in unison.

"Very well. You have my permission, and you may use the empty classroom on the first floor should people from other houses join, that way you won't have to bother Madam Pince in the library."

"Th-thank you sir, really. This is wonderful," Cynthia smiles, turning to leave before he can change his mind, dragging Eleanor along behind her.

That night and all of Sunday they start working, creating notices and giving them to the elves to hang up on the notice boards in each of the house common rooms, asking for people who want to write or take pictures for a new school paper to come and see them before the end of Monday.

When that is done Cynthia gets a head start on writing small articles while Eleanor and Susan sketch out a design for the news paper. The three of them work late into Sunday afternoon, Susan continuing to adjust the design while Eleanor develops photos of the Hufflepuff team.

"I'll have to get the other teams to agree to photos as well, that way it's not favouritism," she says, more to Susan than Cynthia who was not to be disturbed while writing.

"Well, I have a general layout that we can use as a guide and adjust for each issue depending on the stories," Susan says, stretching out in her spot on the floor.

"I have to go to the library now, do try and pry Cyn away from the writing for dinner, otherwise she'll be unbearable."

Eleanor picks up her potions notes and homework, ensuring the photos she's spent the day developing to the side, happy that she'd mastered the art of getting the pictures to move.

Being so ecstatic about actually acting on their newspaper, Eleanor barely notices how extra snipey Malfoy is being until he snatches the bar of chocolate from her hand, growling at her to pay attention.

"Excuse me, I am, it's called multitasking. You know what, keep it, you sound like you could do with some chocolate in your life."

"You're missing the notes about moonstones," he snaps, pushing her book back towards her along with the textbook turned to the page she'd need.

"And you're missing manners but we can't all be perfect."

"Not like Potter you mean?"

"What?" She says, pausing her scribbling down of the notes she'd missed.

"I saw you and your weird blue haired friend with him yesterday, did he feel sorry for you having to work with me twice a week, or were you too busy batting your eyes at him to string two sentences together."

"Okay, woah. First of all, I barely know Harry we were there so Cynthia could talk to Hermione, secondly I don't particularly care for whining about something as petty as being tutored, even if it is by you. And thirdly, batting my eyes? He isn't even my type!"

Slamming her potions book shut and earning a reprimand from Madam Pince, Eleanor shoves her things haphazardly into her bag before storming out of the library. Malfoy, for once in his life, at a complete loss for a comeback.


	5. Chapter 5

On Monday morning Cynthia and Eleanor make their way to breakfast where Susan is already nearly finished eating, a copy of the Daily Prophet strewn across the table for her to read as she eats.

"Anything interesting?" Eleanor asks, claiming the seat across from her.

"Only this," she replies, pushing the front page of the Prophet into Eleanor's hands. A large photo of a simpering woman stares out from the page, a large bow perched on top of her head.

"Is that?"

"Umbridge," Susan nods.

"What about Umbridge?" asks Cynthia as she fills her plate with toast and bacon.

"She's been promoted. Delores Umbridge has been given the position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor and she has been given powers to address the falling standards at Hogwarts."

"Falling standards? Please, this is just to give the Ministry a stronger foothold here because the Minister is scared of Dumbledore."

"Cyn, keep it down will you?" Susan says, looking towards the staff table where Umbridge sits, her sappy grin even more unbearable than in the paper.

All around them students begin to make their way out of the Hall but one girl with pale blonde hair and a dreamy look on her face who instead wanders over to Cynthia and Eleanor who are continuing to snatch a few more pieces of food before class.

"Excuse me. I read a flyer that you were looking for people to write in a school paper and I'd like to join."

"Aren't you the one who's always reading the Quibbler?" Cynthia asks, snatching at a piece of toast as it disappears with the rest of the breakfast leftovers.

"My father publishes it," the girl replies, her turnip shaped earrings bobbing along as she nods.

"We'd love to have you join, I've no doubt you'll write some very interesting pieces," Cynthia smiles as McGonagall comes to shoo them all out and off to class.

"Well that's four of us now, I wonder how many more people we'll have by the end of the day." Eleanor says as she and Cynthia take their seats in the first class of the day, having been so preoccupied in their discussion they were the only two students in the classroom who hadn't yet noticed the extra person seated in the back.

"What? Why's everyone - oh."

"Cyn?"

"It's Umbridge."

Turning to see what had caught everyone's attention Eleanor finally notices that Professor Umbridge was indeed sitting quietly in the corner of the classroom, a clipboard perched on her knees and her toadish face beaming with a smug sort of satisfaction.

"Don't mind me everyone, I'll just be sitting in on some of your classes for the next few days. As a part of my new position as High Inquisitor I'd like to get a first hand view of how the other professors here at Hogwarts get along teaching you all."

"A lot better than you that's for sure," mutters Cynthia so only Eleanor can hear her.

Moments later Professor Flitwick walks in and, with a constant fearful glance towards Umbridge, begins the class.

"That cow!" Declares Cynthia an hour later as they make their way to potions. "She was awful to him and clearly she's looking for any excuse to degrade the staff but, to do it in front of his students? I didn't think I could dislike her anymore, clearly I was wrong."

"Yeah that was really uncalled for, I hope Professor Flitwick isn't too upset by it all," says Eleanor, glancing over her shoulder to ensure Umbridge hadn't just witnessed Cynthia's outburst.

"I think I want my first article to be about her, why she's really here and ways we should try to get rid of her."

"She's High Inquisitor, she'd never let you publish it."

"Hmph." Is Cynthia's only acknowledgment.

Potions class is unsupervised by Umbridge and though Snape has never been a liked Professor by any means, Eleanor can't help but feel relieved to be in his class.

"The results of your essays," says Snape, flicking his wand and sending stacks of paper amongst the tables as they searched for their owners, "I must say I'm overall disappointed, if these were your OWLs then very few of you would have achieved even an A, and even less an E never mind O. I will expect better on your next one which will be due next week."

A collective groan echoes around the room as they are assigned another essay to write. Eleanor watches her paper drop in front of her, an A scrawled on top of it.

"Hey it's better than me, I got P," whispers Cynthia.

"There is no way I'll get into alchemy if I don't get an O."

"Well, isn't that why you're doing that work with Malfoy, is he helping at all?"

"We didn't exactly get to the essay on Sunday for Potions, I stormed off when he started getting all, well, Malfoy." Eleanor says, hating that she had to admit she'd given up on the help just because she couldn't ignore some stupid comment that wasn't worth jeopardising her education over.

"So is it not happening anymore?"

"I don't know, I guess I'll find out on Friday won't I?"

Friday comes a lot sooner than expected as Eleanor becomes consumed with work for classes as well as releasing the first issue of the Hufflepost.

Colin Creevey had approached them later on Monday to ask if he could help with photography and despite how much he just never stopped talking she was glad to have someone to share the work with.

They had all met in the empty classroom to put together their stories and assign tasks, Eleanor and Colin would get photos of the rest of the Quidditch teams, Cynthia and Luna each had several stories already written by Friday - including coverage of Hermione's S.P.E.W and an article all about nargles. Susan had the job of arranging everything into a readable, physical paper with her own artistry being put to use in creating a stunning layout with the 'Hufflepost' written in gorgeous calligraphy.

When on Friday they handed out the first copies everyone seemed a bit sceptical of how interesting a school paper could be but it didn't take long for word to spread that it was a great read, particularly the slanderous article Cynthia had written about Umbridge.

"That concealment charm was genius," Susan said to Cyn, who, late the night before had come bursting into the dorm from the library with a way to write stories without Umbridge's knowledge.

"It's simple really, we add the story in, cast the charm and then even if Umbridge got her hands on a copy she'd only be able to find the stories we don't mind her reading."

It had taken a few tries to get the spell right but once it worked they had all been so ecstatic that Ernie had had to yell at them to be quiet or he'd deduct points from his own house since it was well past bedtime.

When they weren't revelling in the success of their first paper Eleanor was preoccupied with prefect duties and wondering if she really had botched her chance at getting into alchemy if Malfoy didn't show that night.

"Ooh, Hogsmeade trip in two weeks," Cyn says as they enter the common room later that afternoon after classes are over, finally signalling an end for Umbridge to sit in on other lessons hopefully. Although the Hufflepuffs had heard of the class with McGonagall she'd sat in on and had a good laugh amongst themselves, their own were much less eventful but just as unnerving.

"I've decided," Eleanor says, gathering up her transfiguration and potion books, "I'll go for like, ten minutes but if he isn't there after that I'm leaving, there's no way I'm wasting valuable time if he won't show up."

"Hey, he needs you too remember, and this is Malfoy. He's such an ass that he's probably used to girls storming off."

"I don't storm."

Cynthia just laughs and pushes Eleanor out of the common room, "Have you seen you mad? You storm."

But when she reaches the library she finds Malfoy already sitting there.

"You. You showed up?"

"Of course, I need to get into alchemy and so do you, so like it or not and like me or not, I need you to tutor me and you need me to tutor you."

The reason and bluntness to this statement without any of the usual snide behaviour catches Eleanor off her guard and she stands for a minute blustering before she shakes herself out of it and takes the seat opposite Malfoy.

"Although you did really piss off Madam Pince last time so if you could avoid raising your issues with me so publicly next time I'd appreciate that."

"Yeah well if you could avoid insinuating things about me and my love life _or_ insulting my friend then I won't have to."

He nods slightly, his only acknowledgment to agreement and then pulls his books out.

"I thought we could start with Potions this time since I didn't really get a chance to have a proper look last week. Not to mention, an A on your essay? You need all my help you can get."

"Shut up, I heard you got the same in transfiguration and you did have my help with that."

"Touché."


	6. Chapter 6

The next two weeks breezed by in a flurry of homework assignments, meetings for the Hufflepost, tuition with Malfoy and prefect duties twice a week that had more and more frequently resulted in Eleanor and Reggie being paired up together for reasons she couldn't explain.

"So have you heard about the meeting some of the fifth year Gryffindors were organising in Hogsmeade this weekend?" Reggie asked Eleanor as they set off on their route for the night, patrolling the halls for any adventurous students.

"Cyn did mention something that Hermione had told her about when they met up to discuss S.P.E.W, but I don't know what it's about."

"Well from what I gathered it's supposed to be some sort of Defence class that actually teaches something instead of that rubbish Umbridge has been making everyone write. You should definitely go and afterwards we could get lunch from the Three Broomsticks?"

"Sure sounds great, I'll make sure to let Cyn know when I get back to the dorms. She never can turn down food."

"Oh-yeah Cyn. Right." Reggie flushes for a second before falling into silence, only speaking again to say goodnight to Eleanor at the end of their patrol.

Making her way as silently as possible through the common room Eleanor pauses by Cynthia who is asleep huddled over her latest story for the Hufflepost. Knowing better than to wake her she grabs a blanket from the nearest couch and tucks her in, moving the ink bottle out of the way should she shift in her sleep.

—-

"He just lacks basic manners," Eleanor says to Cynthia as they discuss Friday nights tuition during the walk down to Hogsmeade.

"Oh come on now he isn't that bad, don't you remember Moody last year? He proved to us that Malfoy, though not a good person, makes for an excellent pet ferret. And you can hardly expect a ferret to have manners, can you?"

"I dunno, my cousin had a ferret once and he could've shown Malfoy a thing or two about manners." Susan says, joining in on their conversation.

A snort escapes from Cynthia as she bursts into a fit of laughter, prompting both Eleanor and Susan to join in all the way up to the door of the Hogs Head inn where a group of students are making their way inside.

"Have you ever been in here?" Cynthia asks, sobering up and handing some coins over to one of the red haired Weasley twins while the other hands out dusty bottles of butter beer to everyone.

"Hmm, you know funnily enough it's not really my scene," Eleanor says, eyeing some of the more suspect clientele skulking around the bar.

Taking a seat with Susan they look towards Harry and Hermione who are clearly leading this meeting, Eleanor spotting Reggie with some of his friends across the room.

"Oh yeah Cyn we're going to lunch with your brother afterwards."

"Um. Why the fuck would he take _us_ to lunch?

"I don't know, he asked me while we were doing Prefect duties Wednesday night."

"And you said yes?"

"Well yeah, and I told him I'd let you know but I forgot until just now."

"Wait. What exactly did he say, when he 'asked us to lunch'?"

"We were talking about the meeting today and he said I should go and then he said after we could go and have lunch at the Three Broomsticks."

"And so you just inferred by we he was including me?"

"Of course, why on earth would he want to go to lunch with just me? It's not like I'm his sister nor are we particularly close friends."

"No, he's just a guy that you know and who happens to be single and you happen to be single and it was so not an invite for me you idiot."

"Aww I thought he and that other 7th year prefect were a thing, did she dump him?"

Cynthia, clearly exasperated hits her head down onto the table in front of them and beside her Susan sighs and leans closer to Eleanor.

"It is a small wonder how you are supposed to be getting into an advanced class such as alchemy and yet you can't even figure out that the guy was asking you out."

"No he- oh. Oh my god. Oh my fricken god, he asked me out? He asked me out! And I, ohmygod I said I'd bring Cyn. What is wrong with me?"

"Apparently a lot," Susan says just as the conversation dies down in the room as everyone focuses on Hermione at the front of the room.

"Er- hi," Hermione begins, her voice a pitch higher from all the eyes staring at her now, "well you know why you're here. Harry here, well I mean I had the idea that it would be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I mean really study it took matters into our own hands. Not just in theory, but doing real spells."

Someone from the group interrupts her, "You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L too though I bet."

"Of course, but more than that I want to be properly trained because… well because Lord Voldemort is back."

Despite themselves all three jump at the name of the dark wizard that had caused so much grief for everyone already. Around them others were also affected by Hermione's words, some people spilling their butterbeer down the front of their clothes.

Zacharias Smith, another Hufflepuff from their year that they weren't particularly fond of, is the first to respond, "Where's the proof you-know-who's back?"

"Dumbledore believes it," Hermione begins.

"You mean Dumbledore believes him," he continues, nodding at Harry.

"What makes me say you-know-who's back?" Harry says, "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Everyone was holding their breath as they watched this exchange unfold.

"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by you-know-who. He didn't tell us how he got murdered, I think we'd all like to know."

"If you've come to hear about Cedric's death I can't help you, so if that's what you're here for you might as well clear out."

No one moves but beside Eleanor Cynthia, her face stricken from the mention of her friend hisses at Zacharias to shut up.

"Is it true," Susan asks, "that you can produce a patronus. A fully corporeal patronus?"

"Yes," Harry says, the business with Zacharias pushed aside.

Several other students bring up the philosophers stone and the second year when Harry killed a basilisk, each one causing Harry to come up with a stuttered reason why it wasn't as simple as they're making it out to be.

Despite a few more unwelcome inputs from Zacharias who Eleanor threatens to deduct points from no matter his house if he didn't shut up, they eventually agree that everyone wants lessons from Harry and then the great debacle begins in ensuring the meeting won't clash with Quidditch.

After it is decided to meet once a week and that they'll be informed when the first one is Hermione produces a quill and parchment for everyone to sign, some more hesitantly than others though Cynthia and Eleanor have no issue with it.

After the meeting, as everyone makes their way out of the inn Cynthia approaches Hermione to discuss writing about the meetings in the Hufflepost using the concealment charm.

"Don't worry," Susan reassures Eleanor as they head to the door, having agreed that Eleanor should go to lunch alone and that Susan would wait for Cynthia at Honeydukes. "Just explain that you didn't understand what he was asking at first and you'll be fine. And don't freak out that he's Cynthia's brother either, she has no problem with this remember?"

With Susan's calming words of encouragement following her down the street Eleanor finds Reggie talking with a friend outside of the Three Broomsticks and hesitates for only a second before approaching.

"So, we were meeting up for lunch," she says when she reaches him.

He says goodbye to his friend first and then turns to look at Eleanor, "I thought you were bringing my sister too?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that," she flushes, looking down to her feet, "I uh- I think I misinterpreted what you meant when you said you wanted to get lunch."

"I probably could have made myself a little clearer I guess," he laughs holding open the door for Eleanor to enter ahead of him.

They find a table tucked away in a corner of the room and Eleanor takes a seat while Reggie gets drinks for them while they decide what to eat.

"I guess I just wasn't aware you thought of me as anything other than your sister's friend." Eleanor says when he sits opposite, two butterbeers in hand.

"I didn't at first, but then last summer you came to visit and all of a sudden all I could think was how cute you looked when you smiled or laughed."

She blushes violently at this revelation, unsure and awkward at how to respond to such a compliment.

They eat their meal together in companionable silence, breaking it every now and then to ask one another a question or discuss the goings on at Hogwarts.

"That first night when we had prefect's duties together I couldn't believe my eyes. I hadn't really seen you on the carriage trip up and then suddenly you were there all, handsome and - god I'm babbling," Eleanor stops herself as they walk together back up to Hogwarts. Lunch had been wonderful and she couldn't wait to get back to the dorm and gush about how nice and thoughtful Reggie was to Susan and Cynthia.

"I like when you babble, you get this faraway look in your eye as if you're lost in your own imagination. It's sweet." Says Reggie, "I should probably leave you here, I promised a friend I'd study with him in the library when I got back from Hogsmeade. Did you uh- did you want to do this again sometime? Go on a date that is, it doesn't have to be lunch or-"

"I'd love to," Eleanor interrupts with a laugh.

They say goodbye and then she watches as he makes his way up to the library, a warm happiness spreading across her cheeks with the promise of a second date in the future.

"How was lunch?" Susa asks when Eleanor slips into the common room, plopping down beside her in front of the fireplace.

"It was nice, he's really sweet _and_ he said he wanted to do something together again soon."

Curling up beneath a blanket Cynthia walks in and joins them not long after, her Puffskein Ludlow perched on her shoulder and several mugs of hot chocolate in her hand.

"Are you glad you didn't bring me along now?"

"Yes, thank you Cynthia." Eleanor smiles, taking one of the mugs and settling down for an evening of gossip and games by the fire.


	7. Chapter 7

On Monday morning, after staying curled up in the warm dormitory as long as they could, Eleanor and Susan make their way sleepily into the common room a commotion in the corner of the common room catching their attention and they push their way through the crowd as Eleanor spots a new official-looking notice pinned to the board.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

_All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded. An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled. The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

"Someone must have gone to Umbridge after the meeting at the Hogs Head," Susan says to Eleanor as they search the room for Cynthia.

"Nevermind that, what about the Hufflepost? And Quidditch? There's a chance teams won't be allowed to re-form!" Announces a panicked Cynthia from behind the two, clearly already having seen the notice.

"Well let's go to breakfast and we'll have to find the others and let them know that we'll see Umbridge about getting the Hufflepost approved. You should speak to the Hufflepuff captain about quidditch too Cyn." Eleanor says, staying as calm as she could at the thought of losing the newspaper they had only just begun.

"Do you think we should go ask Harry and the others about what's going to happen with the meetings?" Susan whispers watching as Ernie and Hannah make their way to the Gryffindor table.

But before they can Hermione begins to shoo the others away silently, clearly alarmed at the thought of a large crowd gathering.

"Best not," Cynthia replies.

Snatching only a few pieces of toast, Eleanor and Cynthia leave Susan to find the other members of the newspaper while they speak to Umbridge, the Hufflepuff quidditch captain - Summerby, tagging along, relieved to have others with him to speak with Umbridge.

They find her, sitting rather smugly in her office enjoying a cup of tea.

"Can I help you?" She asks as the three of them stand awkwardly in front of her desk.

"Uh, yes Professor," Begins the quidditch captain, "We wanted to speak to you about reforming the Hufflepuff quidditch team-"

"And the student newspaper," Cynthia interrupts, earning herself a jab in the ribs from a nervous Eleanor.

"Ah yes, well, I think we can arrange that for the Quidditch team. I don't believe any of your members have had any major disciplinary issues. As for the newspaper, I don't know if it is entirely appropriate-"

"We don't write anything bad. It's mainly just news about the different clubs, upcoming school dates, advice columns and the like. Please Professor," Eleanor pleads, "If it would help, we could run copies past you first for approval."

This last part was very satisfactory for Umbridge who, with her toady grin agrees and then allows them on their way to their first class for the day.

"For her approval?" Cynthia hisses at an ecstatic Eleanor, not sharing her same excitement for the continuance of a paper that she wouldn't have freedom with.

"Yes. For her approval, you and Susan will have to work on strengthening those concealment charms so that Umbridge can't undo them and see all the unapproved stories you write. Especially if we're going to be posting news about the meetings."

The first few classes of the day, Potions and Charmspass by with little fuss but by lunch no one can quite believe the amount of homework they've been assigned. Cynthia in particular voicing her disbelief several times before Susan silences her with an exasperated stare.

"Instead of complaining about it, how about you do some of it now?" She says, her own work already in front of her on the table as she eats.

"Well I can't do mine even if I wanted to," Eleanor says, "It's Potions and I can't for the life of me understand the work or even find the notes from class to go with it and I won't have tuition with Malfoy until Friday which is after it's due."

"Why not ask him now? He's just over there, and you've got time before class this afternoon." Susan says.

Sure enough when Eleanor follows Susan's pointed look she sees Malfoy sitting down with another Slytherin boy for lunch.

"Hmm I guess I'd better," Eleanor sighs, getting up from the table and making her way across the room, slowing down as she approaches Malfoy who thankfully is only with the one boy and any other Slytherins at the table are sitting further down. If Pansy had been there she would rather go to Snape and tell him she wasn't doing the homework than face that.

Before she has to say anything the other boy, Blaise Zabini, Eleanor thinks, spots her and points her out to Malfoy.

"What are you doing over here Hufflepuff?" Malfoy says, turning around to face her a smirk playing on the edge of his mouth.

"- I-I, wanted to," No matter how hard she wants to just say it she can't bring herself to ask for help right in front of Zabini, especially knowing he'd likely tell Pansy about it later. No, she'd be much better just struggling through the homework herself, thank you very much.

"Blaise, I left my books for class this afternoon in the dorm, go get them will you." Malfoy says, with only a faint hint of exasperation in his voice. When Zabini has left the table and is well out of earshot Malfoy turns back to Eleanor who is now a furious red both from embarrassment and anger that she had even gotten so embarrassed in the first place.

"I take it you need assistance with that Potions assignment Snape set everyone?"

Not trusting herself to say anything she just nods her head.

"Fine, outside though I can't work with all the noise around me," he says getting up from the table and striding out of the hall, Eleanor practically running to keep up.

Despite the brisk chill of the outside air Malfoy finds a spot in the sun and takes out his potions book, looking to Eleanor to do the same.

"Thank you."

"Mm," is his reply, already flipping through her pages of notes until he finds what she'll need to refer to.

"If you use these notes plus maybe some of the ones from two weeks ago it should cover everything, oh and make sure when you write about the effects each ingredient will have on the potion don't forget that several of them cancel out some of the others and make sure you address that in the essay and why, should earn you a few bonus points."

She does as Malfoy says and begins to write an outline of the essay with him checking over her shoulder, "Why are you even starting it this early? We only got it this morning."

"I've told you before, I like to get work done when I get it, that way it's done and I don't have to worry and the weekends are generally free to do other things."

"Like what? You aren't in any clubs as far as I know, nor the choir and you don't play Quidditch. The only thing I've seen you doing as an extracurricular is that paper you and your friends started."

Scoffing Eleanor replies, "I do things. Mainly go to watch Cynthia train or hang out with them all in the dorm and relax, and I do photography, where do you think all the pictures for the paper come from? It takes time to develop those."

"Yeah but, other than that you're all work and no play."

"This is just your way of saying I'm boring," Eleanor says, barely glancing up from her work.

"This is my way of saying you could be less boring, it's not as much of an insult that way."

"As long as boring isn't making an ass of myself I'm quite fine with it," Eleanor quips.

"Are you implying anyone who isn't boring is an ass or is this just directed at me?" She can almost hear the smile in his voice and for a moment she can't believe that she is actually managing to have a pleasant conversation with Malfoy, let alone playfully teasing him.

"Just you. Must take some skill, getting one of the quietest most peaceful boys in the entire year to try and punch you."

"You heard about that?"

"I'm pretty sure most of the school probably knows, Lavender and Parvati aren't exactly shy about gossip. What did you say?"

"It was a joke I was making. About St Mungo's. I might've - pulled a face." He replicates it for her to see, though this time without the humour behind it.

"Yeah I think I might've punched you if I had been there, I still might."

"Not my finest moment."

A few more minutes pass and Eleanor is certain that she's escaped the topic of her 'boringness' when Malfoy begins speaking again.

"What about in the holidays? What do you do then if you don't play Quidditch? Surely more than just taking pictures, and definitely no school work. I mean, you're a Wicks, that's a wizards name don't your parents take you to wizarding events and the like?"

Staring straight ahead at the paper with a determination to stay focused Eleanor hesitates for a moment before deciding to answer.

"My dad doesn't really advocate doing anything related to the wizarding community. He's not even that supportive of my coming to Hogwarts though he'd never actually stop me."

"But, your family is full of wizards."

"You'd know more about them than me." She stops talking but then looks up and sees a dozen more questions forming on Malfoy's face.

"My dad is a squib and when my mum died he left the wizard community behind, married a muggle and had three beautiful muggle babies with her. To him, I'm just a reminder of the past and the world he wants to forget so when I'm at home I try to leave everything magic related at school. I never got into anything like Quidditch because I could never keep up with the teams and matches, let alone train to be on a team myself. At home I keep to myself as much as I can or I help out in my step-mum's cafe."

She stops talking for air, not sure why she was sharing so much with Malfoy of all people and waiting for the cutting comments to begin.

"You shouldn't have to miss out on having fun because your dad doesn't like it. It's too restricting. How are you supposed to know what you want to do when you graduate?"

His reply surprises Eleanor who just shrugs, "I'll work it out."

This answer doesn't seem to satisfy him but he doesn't say anything else, just looks over the work she has done and, after a nod of approval gets up for them to head off to afternoon classes.

"Thanks again, you didn't have to give up your lunch."

"Just be aware that this means I'll be calling in on you for help with Transfiguration at some point," he says before leaving to go off with the rest of the Slytherins.

"Was that so hard?" Susan asks when Eleanor catches up to her just outside of Transfiguration.

"Okay, you were right, he was more than willing to help."

Linking arms they walk into the classroom, stifling their groans of complaint as they notice Umbridge in the back of the classroom.

"I thought she'd already sat in on one of McGonagall's classes?" Eleanor hisses to Susan.

"She must be a glutton for punishment." Susan replies, turning to face McGonagall who hadn't even acknowledged Umbridge at the back. This year was definitely not going the way anyone had thought it would.


	8. Chapter 8

In Herbology later that week, over the din of the rain pouring onto the greenhouse roof, Harry and Hermione whispered in hushed tones the instructions on where the first meeting would be held.

"Seventh floor, at eight o'clock, by the odd tapestry.."

What with Umbridge checking the Hufflepost they'd already agreed that the location would not be posted in it in case the concealment charms broke, instead agreeing to write about defensive magic advice and other things they thought that would be important to cover the disaster of what had become the Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

Instead they promised to inform the other Hufflepuffs after Herbology had ended. The excitement for the evening saw that the day's classes passed fairly quickly and at ten to seven Eleanor, Cynthia and Susan made their way as inconspicuously as possible to the seventh floor where they found a highly polished door where they'd just seen a group of Ravenclaws enter.

Inside they found a spacious room filled with training dummies, books on defensive magic and dozens of other tools for Harry to use to teach everyone.

"This is amazing," Eleanor exclaims, "Where do you think Harry got all this stuff from."

"It's called the Room of Requirement, it's hard to explain but the short of it is that it gives the user whatever they need," Harry says, having heard Eleanor's comment. "I didn't bring any of this stuff."

"That's incredible."

The floor is littered with colourful cushions that gradually are being claimed by students as seats while they talk amongst each other waiting for the evening to begin.

"Eleanor," calls a voice from across the room.

Reggie is sitting amongst a group of his Ravenclaw friends, indicating several spare cushions beside him for her and the others to take. Cynthia shoots a look at Eleanor, clearly amused with her brother's actions.

They cross the room and take up the spots he'd saved, a warm blush spilling across Eleanor's face as she tries her best to look calm and not like her stomach has just been swarmed with butterflies.

"I was hoping to see you. I wanted to ask what you were doing on the weekend and if you wanted to go for that next date."

His words send the swarm on loops and barrel rolls and her face grows even redder, behind her she can hear Cyn and Susan sniggering to one another.

"I'm not doing anything," she says, doing her best to ignore them.

The rest of their conversation is cut off by the silent tension as everyone had arrived and was now looking to Harry for instruction.

"Um, so this is the place we've found to practice in," He begins, his voice shaking only slightly as his eyes moves from face to face.

"It's fantastic," says a girl from beside Reggie, Eleanor recognises her as the Ravenclaw seeker Cho Chang.

"So, I think we should have a name," says Hermione after the noise has died down from discussion of the room as everyone began murmuring their own praise for the location.

"The Anti-Umbridge League?"

"The Defence Association?" Cho suggests.

"What about Dumbledore's Army?" Adds another girl with vivid red hair that immediately marks her as Ron Weasley's younger sister.

"All in favour of the DA?"

Everyone agrees and Hermione adds the name to the piece of parchment everyone had signed at the Hogs Head, clearly relieved that the decision had been so fast and decisive.

"I was thinking we should do Expelliarmus first, the Disarming Charm. It's pretty basic but-"

Before Harry can finish Zacharias Smith butts in, something he might have regretted if he'd seen the annoyed and deadly glare Cynthia shot his way.

"Please, as if Expelliarmus is going to help us in a fight against You-Know-Who."

"It saved my life in June." Harry replies quietly. The silence in the room is deafening. Noone else says anything, even Zacharias manages to keep his mouth shut and he continues, "So I think it would be best to divide into pairs and practise."

Eleanor and Cynthia pair up immediately, Susan going off to find Hannah Abbott and Reggie turning to another Ravenclaw boy.

"It sickens me how he fawns over you," Cyn smiles, getting into a stance to await Eleanor's spell.

"If you don't like it I can say no."

"No you idiot, I like it. Just, all lovey-dovey crap in general is sickening."

Eleanor sends the first Expelliarmus at Cyn whose wand immediately flies out of her hand.

"Aww come on, what about uh-whatshisname, the French guy?"

"Henri?"

"Yeah him. You went to the Yule Ball with him last year."

Cyn's own spell comes a second later and Eleanor's wand slips from her hand.

"Only because he asked and only because I'd look stupid if I went and didn't have a date."

The two of them continue to throw the spell back and forth, occasionally having to pause their conversation to retrieve their wands when they had gone too far.

At one point, before Eleanor had even cast Expelliarmus Cyn's wand flew out of her hand, a questioning eyebrow raised. From behind them they heard laughter and turn around to see the two red-haired twins who've been standing in a corner casting the spell on unsuspecting people.

Marching over to retrieve her wand Cyn just shakes her head at them and when they're done laughing they pass back her wand.

"Hey, aren't you one of the students doing the Hufflepost?" Asks one of the boys.

"Yeah."

"Excellent, we want to talk about placing adverts in it," says the other.

"Adverts?"

"For our products. Currently skiving snackboxes but we're working on other things."

"I'll uh, talk to my friends and get back to you," she says returning to Eleanor just as Harry calls for a stop to the night.

Reggie confirms his date with Eleanor, saying he'll meet her outside the great hall on Saturday morning before she joins Cynthia and Susan in returning to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"That was so much fun!" Susan giggles quietly as they enter the common room and no longer need to worry about being caught by Umbridge.

"I'm going to work on an article for the Hufflepost on Expelliarmus, oh and those boys wanted to place an ad," Cynthia says, barely stopping for breath.

Susan agrees to help her and they settle down in a corner of the room while Eleanor pulls out the last of her homework to finish before going to bed, eager for the weekend to arrive.

"Are you sure I look okay?" Eleanor asks for the dozenth time, earning an eye roll from Cynthia and an exasperated sigh from Susan.

"For the hundredth time. Yes."

"I'm sorry," she laughs, "I'm just so nervous."

"You will be fine."

They rounded a corner into the Entrance Hall and Eleanor watches the others duck inside the Great Hall for a late breakfast as she stands there waiting for Reggie to arrive.

A few minutes later he appears coming down the stairs, a smile tugging on his face when he sees her standing there waiting for him.

"You look nice," he says breathlessly from his run down the stairs, a basket in one hand as he absentmindedly takes Eleanor's hand to lead her outside.

The shock of his touch makes Eleanor blush and she lets him guide her out into the chilly air to a sunny spot by the lake. He places the basket on the ground and notices he is holding Eleanor by the hand still, his smile growing as she clumsily pulls her hand away to help unpack the food from the basket.

They sit side by side eating the food that Reggie had packed with the help of the House Elves.

"I only went in there to ask for food and when I mentioned your name they all perked up and started making suggestions, said you were in there twice a week for dinner and they knew exactly what you'd like."

"Uh yeah, I don't get to dinner sometimes so I go to the kitchens for something. I keep meaning to make it myself but they've gotten to know when I'll arrive and they always have food ready as soon as I get there."

"Why do you miss dinner?"

"It's a long story." Eleanor says, suddenly unsure how a Ravenclaw would feel about her getting tuition, despite the fact she was also tutoring just for a different class.

"Well, I don't have to be anywhere for a while."

"Um, well, I really want to do alchemy next year and there's another student who wants to as well. And at the start of the year Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape decided they weren't sure if we should do it. I have to do better at Potions see and this other student needs to get better grades in Transfiguration, so they've got us tutoring one another in the classes. If we get higher grades then they'll consider allowing us to take the class next year."

"Who's the other student?"

"Malfoy."

"Oh. Bet they're cheery sessions."

"They're not as bad as they sound." Eleanor smiles, and then thinks of anything to change the subject.

"You two spend a fair bit of time together then?" He says, a distant look on his face for a moment.

"Uh, no more than we have to. We aren't friends by far and honestly he's such an annoying, mannerless prat that I have no intentions to change that fact."

This seems to be a good answer and Reggie lets the topic change, but for the rest of the date Eleanor can't help but feel she upset him somehow.


	9. Chapter 9

The sun hadn't yet risen when Cynthia pulled her Quidditch robes on and made her way out of the common room to the pitch, her breath smoking in front of her face as the chill air wakes her up like a slap to the face.

"Morning lovely," calls out Tiffany Briggs, one of the Hufflepuff Chasers, a thick scarf wrapped around her as she jumps in place to keep warm.

"Morning Tiff, looking forward to flying in this weather?" She replies, looking out at the low lying clouds that she can make out in the light, or lack thereof from the sun.

"Just as long as it doesn't rain."

Pulling off the woollen beanie she had donned before leaving the room Cyn ruffles her hand through her hair, a last ditch attempt to make it look like she'd bothered to brush it.

"You guys coming?" They hear Zacharias call out from the door of the changing room.

"Yeah, yeah keep your shirt on."

Grabbing her broom she follows Tiffany out onto the field for a day of gruelling training.

"Pass the ball Zach," yells Summerby, his voice cracking after shouting instructions all morning.

"Isn't he dating Hannah or something?" The beater, Lydia asks, hovering beside Cyn as they watch the mess unfolding below.

"I pity her." Cyn laughs, wondering why anyone would willingly put up with his attitude.

"How about you? Anyone catch your fancy these days?"

"Not really, nothing serious at least. There's this seventh year who I will admit is rather cute but, nah."

The two lean back as much as they dare on their brooms, knowing it will be a while before the captain can extract himself from telling off Zacharias.

"Anthony and I have been dating for a year now. He got me this cute charm necklace for the anniversary," sighs Lydia, showing off the jewelry to Cynthia.

"It's adorable."

"Oi, you two, heads out of the clouds and back to the training drills," calls out Summerby, finally spotting them.

"Whoops."

"Tell him," says Lydia.

"What?"

"Tell him you think he's cute."

She flies off to join the other beater, leaving Cynthia behind lost in her thoughts momentarily before Summerby reminds her again to get moving.

They only stop training when the Gryffindor team march onto the field, they pass each other nodding slightly and Cynthia's gaze is drawn to the two redheads from the DA meeting the other night.

"Hi," she says in passing, resulting in one of them breaking out into a giggle before returning her greeting.

"Hermione wants to talk to you," calls out Ron as he and Harry pass by, "She's having breakfast in the hall if you hurry."

"Sure thing," Cyn says ducking into the changing room before running up to the castle eager to tuck in to a huge breakfast after training.

In the Great Hall she makes her way towards the Gryffindor table straight away, knowing if she doesn't catch Hermione here she'd struggle to find her in the rest of the castle. With a quick glance to the Hufflepuff table she notices Eleanor isn't sitting there anyway, instead, after searching for a few more seconds she spots her at the Ravenclaw table eating with Reggie and a few of his friends.

"Ew."

While she was happy that her friend was finally entering the world of boys and dating, and she had told her that she was fine with El's relationship with Reggie something just didn't sit right whenever she saw them together. With a pang of guilt she realises she wouldn't be too upset if it didn't work out.

Almost as soon as the thought enters her head Cyn shakes it away, scolding herself for being so petty in the face of her friend's and brother's happiness. Snapping out of her thoughts she spies Hermione with her face buried in a book, holding a forkful of food by her face as she devours the words on the page in front of her.

"Just a bit of light reading?" Cyn says, plopping in the seat beside Hermione with a nod towards the book.

"Oh this is nothing," Hermione smiles, putting the book down to focus on Cynthia and finally eating the forkful of food.

"Ron said you wanted to talk."

"Oh yeah. About the Hufflepost and some more article ideas, as well as some things to write about for the DA like defensive spells and information. I thought you and I could brainstorm some things that people should be informed about and pool our knowledge."

"As long as I get to eat breakfast while we talk," Cynthia says, already piling toast, bacon, eggs, fruit and a half a dozen other foods onto her plate.

For nearly an hour the two of them, between snacking on food, compile lists of defensive topics and ideas for articles to help students who might not go to the DA meetings but still need to learn things for a proper Defence Against the Dark Arts education.

By the time they stop for a break Eleanor has left the Hall, most likely to do the photography she'd been talking about catching up on recently and the food along the tables has vanished, soon to be replaced with lunch.

A group of Gryffindors join them at the table, back from Quidditch training.

"Second time in a day blue? I'm starting to think you're following me," winks one of the red haired twins.

"If anything, you're following me."

Beside him his brother again lets out a snort of laughter before being hushed quickly by the other.

"I'm sorry but which of you is which?" Cyn asks.

"I'm Fred, he's George," says the one that had laughed.

"Right well, nice to meet you properly. I spoke to my friends by the way, if you give me an outline of what you want to advertise we'll put it in the Hufflepost."

Their faces light up instantaneously.

"Really?"

"No way!"

"If we work it all out today we can have it for you tomorrow?" Smiles George.

"Okay, see you then." Says Cyn, getting up from the table Hermione already gone to work on homework.

Suddenly, with a burst of confidence she can't place the source of, she turns back around to face the other twin, George.

"You're really cute by the way."

Without waiting a second, she turns on her heel and barely holds herself back from running, her face burning red as she leaves the Hall.

Dashing back into the common room she looks for Eleanor and Susan but neither of them are to be found, instead she scoops up Ollie, holding him close and sitting down at one of the spare desks as she ponders what to write first.

Ever since she had been little Cynthia had loved to write and while she enjoyed fiction, her favourite had been news articles. The idea of chasing down a story, of interviewing witnesses and telling the public the real truth - the more scandalous the better. A particular favourite journalist of hers was Rita Skeeter. Sure the woman was lying and devious, sure she wrote lies, but the stories were still a great read and she was popular enough that she had been asked to cover the Triwizard Tournament.

That was the type of fame and renown that Cynthia wanted for herself one day. No matter how much her mother tried to push Cynthia towards a career at the Ministry or her father encouraging her to follow Quidditch like he had, she knew the only thing that would make her happy after school would be to become the next big journalist of the wizarding community.


	10. Chapter 10

The next two weeks were amazing, the Hufflepost was more popular than ever and had grown with more students showing an interest in contributing. DA meetings were a welcome reprieve to Umbridge's lessons and Eleanor had been on two more dates with Reggie while Cynthia had begun to spend more and more of her time talking with the twins from Gryffindor.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a crush," Susan smirked on the morning of the first Quidditch match for the year.

"Then it's a good thing you know better," Cynthia replies sharply.

"Don't poke the bear, you know how snappy she gets when she's cold," Eleanor says, shivering into her own thick scarf and rubbing her gloved hands together.

"Holy shit don't look now but like, totally look now," Susan says, looking at something just beyond Eleanor's head.

"Wha-?"

Turning around she comes face to face with Malfoy, a silver crown badge pinned to his robes reading '_Weasley is our King'_.

"I just wanted to check we were still studying tonight after the match?"

"Yeah, though I'm assuming if you guys win you might want the night off to celebrate."

He nods only slightly, turning when the rest of his team calls out that they're going down.

"Good luck," Eleanor says, stopping him in his tracks.

"Aren't you supporting Gryffindor?"

"I don't spend two days a week with anyone on the Gryffindor team, do I?"

He smiles for a brief second before strutting off to join his team.

"You're not seriously gonna cheer for Slytherin?" Cynthia says the moment he is gone and they begin to make their way down to the stands.

The cold wind biting at their exposed faces and the grass still shining with frost from the night before as they huddle further into their jumpers and scarves.

"And why not? We don't know or hangout with anyone from the Gryffindor team, and he's not so bad. He's really helped me with my studies and sometimes he's even nice."

"Speak for yourself I have plenty of friends on the Gryffindor team."

"Ahh yes, the twins. You have been hanging around them an awful lot lately. Are you sure there's nothing going on there?"

"Well. I, a few weeks ago I told George that I thought he was cute-"

"You what?"

"Yeah, I was mortified. But afterwards he tracked me down and said that he thought I was amazingly brave to say it and I don't know, we just keep meeting up to talk and sometimes he just sits there while I read or write and he's so funny and, oh I'm rambling. I just, I think he's great and I really, _really _like him."

"Aww, I'm so happy for you." Eleanor pulls her friend into a hug.

walk up the stairs of one of the stands, Susan hurrying forward, pushing through the crowd to grab a few seats for them at the front of the stand. A few seats over they spot Luna Lovegood with a massive lion head roaring above the crowd.

"Oh that is brilliant," Eleanor says, running over to get some pictures of Luna and her hat.

A few minutes later the Quidditch match has begun, the normal announcer, Lee Jordan beginning his commentary over the match with Professor McGonagall barking at him every few minutes when he says something inappropriate.

From the Slytherins in the stands everyone begins to hear a song growing louder every second.

_Weasley cannot save a thing_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

"Ah, well that would explain the pins this morning," Eleanor says, pitying Ron Weasley who was goal keeper for the Gryffindor team.

Cyn just nods, her eyes glued to the Gryffindor beaters as the song grows louder and louder the closer Slytherin gets to the goals.

They were going forty-ten and the Slytherins were still singing their song when suddenly Harry dived from where he had been hovering on his broom. He and Malfoy were neck and neck chasing after the snitch, but Eleanor was no longer cheering for Malfoy. Knowing full well that he was probably the one responsible for this cruel act against Ron.

"Come on Harry."

"Go Gryffindor!"

The excitement in the stadium was palpable, everyone cheering for Gryffindor even in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry reaches out and suddenly the game is done, he's caught the snitch.

"Look out," Susan screams as one of the Slytherin team hits a bludger towards Harry's back. It slams into him and knocks him from his broom.

"He's so lucky he had to dive so close to the ground for the snitch," Susan says.

Despite the post game bludger, everyone in the stands is cheering at Gryffindor's victory but Eleanor is watching the furious Malfoy land and say something to Harry.

Even though Harry turns his back Malfoy continues to talk and Eleanor knows whatever he's saying won't be congratulations on his victory. Suddenly something he says has Fred and George being held back by Harry and the rest of the team.

"What on earth is happening down there?" Cynthia says.

"I don't know, can't be anything good."

"Maybe we should go down, congratulate them and see what's happening. Besides you need pictures of the winning team."

Without waiting for Eleanor to agree Cyn turns and runs down the stairs. When they make it down to the field though Fred is still being held back but both Harry and George have charged Malfoy and taken the path of a good old schoolyard fight, like one you would see in a muggle school.

Harry and George are relentless in their attack on Malfoy until Madam Hooch casts Impedimenta and knocks them away. Malfoy lies on the ground in a ball whimpering and Eleanor asks one of the Gryffindor Chasers what happened.

It's Fred that answers, "Oh he's just gone and insulted our parents and Harry's."

Beside her Cyn is just standing frozen staring at the scene and George and Harry are scolded before being sent to their Head of House's office.

Eleanor waits, watching Malfoy slowly get up, and behind all his pain she can still see a vague smirk on his face knowing that they're about to be in a world of trouble. In that moment Eleanor feels nothing but a boiling rage and an ugly contempt that bubbles over inside her as she stares at the arrogant asshole she had actually thought could be described as _nice_.

Cyn grabs her hand, soothing some of the hatred burning within her and together they turn and follow Harry and George off the pitch at a distance to wait for them outside of McGonagall's office.

"They won't get in real trouble right? Crabbe hit that bludger at Harry and then Malfoy antagonised them surely-"

"They'll probably get detention or something, you know McGonagall won't approve of the 'muggle duelling'." Eleanor says trying to soothe Cynthia.

"You. You really care about him don't you?"

Cyn stops pacing and turns to look at Eleanor, "I'm crazy aren't I? I barely know him, but there's just something about him."

Eleanor smiles and hugs her friend before pulling her down to take a seat outside the office and wait. When Umbridge walks into McGonagall's office however they know the boys are doomed.

Minutes later Umbridge leaves and the two boys follow shortly after, both of them looking thoroughly disheartened.

"What happened Cynthia asks the moment she sees George but all he does is shake his head, beside him Harry answers.

"A lifelong ban from playing Quidditch."

"Wha- What? She can't do that!" Cyn says.

"Another educational decree says she can."

Eleanor mutters a sorry to Harry and the two of them begin to walk away when they notice Cynthia and George aren't following.

"Thanks for coming to see us," George says softly.

"What are friends for?"

They stand there still as statues for what seems like an eternity, to Eleanor and Harry it seems as if they've both gone to another world where only they exist. Suddenly, as though hit with a bolt of lightning the two of them burst to life again moving closer and holding each other as they kiss, Cynthia reaching up on her tiptoes.

With belated reactions Eleanor suddenly turns around to face away, giving them some privacy. Beside her Harry is standing staring wide-eyed at this display. Grabbing the back of his robe she tugs and he turns around following her gesture for them to leave.

"What happened back there?" He asks when they're safely around a corner and out of earshot.

"My guess? They've decided to escalate their friendship," Eleanor replies, unable to keep a smile off her face.


	11. Chapter 11

December descended on the castle in a flurry of snow and homework. Cynthia and George were practically inseparable which suited Eleanor fine since she was too preoccupied with her prefect duties; decorating the castle, supervising students spending their breaks inside and Filch had taken to demanding they patrol the corridors in order to keep everyone in line.

Eleanor had just arrived at the Room of Requirement for the last DA meeting before Christmas and Cynthia came running over, a huge smile on her face.

"You'll never guess where I'm spending Christmas!"

"Uhm, I guess not at your family's holiday house like you normally do."

"George invited me to his house for Christmas! Isn't that exciting?"

"Huh, well then I guess it'll just be me and Reggie at your house for the holidays." Eleanor smiles, a blush warming her face.

"I thought you were going home for Christmas?"

"So did I but Reggie asked me the other day when we were hanging out between classes, if I wanted to come home with him for Christmas, to make up for him being so consumed with school work and assignments these past few weeks."

"That's amazing, now we'll both get to spend Christmas with our boyfriends," a soft sigh escapes from Cynthia as she revels in this news. "Oh and I'll work on some more stories for the Hufflepost over the break, that way we'll still have enough written to put another edition out the first week back."

"Just don't forget to actually have a break," El smiles, trailing off to listen as Harry tells them all that they'll be continuing to practise the spells they've already learnt so far.

Everyone around them breaks off into pairs, Eleanor and Cynthia getting to work straight away practising, their previous conversation forgotten for now.

"Have you decided what to do about your lessons with Malfoy yet?" Cyn asks after a few minutes of concentration.

"Mm, I guess I have. Despite how much of an ass he is I refuse to let him be the reason I don't get to take alchemy. So, even though it means continuing to endure his presence after Christmas I'll have to go back to them. As long as he's still willing to. Besides, I can't deny that he has been an actual help, I managed to get an E on my last Potions essay."

"As I said once before, rather you than me. He knows about the Hufflepost doesn't he?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. We're just lucky he hasn't dobbed us in to Umbridge yet about the extra articles. Unless he doesn't know."

"I mean we didn't exactly advertise it to the Slytherins when we started."

"No but surely there are Slytherins that know."

"Well, we'll just keep going as long as we can and if someone dobs than someone dobs, and sure Umbrudge's punishment will probably be awful but I'd rather that than give in now when she may never find out."

An hour later Harry calls out for an end to the night and Eleanor and Cynthia find Susan to walk back down to the Common Room.

"I'm not doing anything too special but I think we're going overseas or something for a few days," she says as they curl up together by the fire.

"Honestly I can't wait to get away from Umbridge, no more sneaking around the halls and following all her stupid educational decrees." Eleanor says, petting Ollie who had finally surfaced again after weeks of roaming the castle.

"Don't you ever worry he's going to get lost?" Susan asks.

"Not really, he always turns up in the end. I suppose I should keep a close eye on him with Umbridge around though, doesn't she have an obsession with cats?"

"Well her office is covered in pictures of them."

Eleanor picks Ollie up to look in his eyes, "Do you hear us Ollie? Stay away from the scary pink lady."

Ollie just closes his eyes sleepily and waits for Eleanor to sit him down so he can curl up again.

"Do you think we're stuck with her for the rest of the time we're at school?" Cynthia asks.

"I hope not."

"Good thing the position's cursed," Eleanor says.

The other two just look at her slightly puzzled.

"Oh come on. Professor Quirrell didn't last past first year, Lockhart is supposedly in St Mungo's still after whatever happened in second year, Professor Lupin had to leave because he was a werewolf -"

"Still a great teacher though," Interjects Cyn.

"And Professor Moody wasn't even Professor Moody, he ended up being a psychopath lackey for Voldemort. The position is cursed."

"I hope Umbridge ends up in St Mungo's."

"Or something scares her off. She isn't a werewolf for sure, especially not with how she treats Hagrid and other 'half-breeds'." Susan says.

Cynthia nods, struggling to hold back a yawn.

"Mm, I agree. I'm going to bed," Eleanor says, heading off into the dorm.

"Eleanor wake up," calls Cynthia's voice early the next morning.

Bleary eyed and barely making sense of her surroundings Eleanor turns over find Cynthia perched on her own bed her face worried and pale.

"George had to leave last night. Apparently something happened to his Dad and all the Weasley's plus Harry left during the night before Umbridge could stop them."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know, I only know because Hermione was told where Ron and Harry were and she found me to let me know."

"Well, how about we go get some breakfast and then we can find out some more about what's happening. Looks like you might just be spending Christmas with me and Reggie."

The two of them bundle up and head up to the Great Hall where they are joined by Hermione who mutters something about not sitting alone.

Halfway through breakfast a sleek, black owl lands in front of Cynthia, a letter clutched in his beak.

"That's your mum's owl isn't it?" Eleanor asks as Cynthia hands him some food in exchange for the letter which she wastes no time in tearing open.

"Yeah."

"What's she writing you for?"

"About Christmas I guess. She heard about Mr Weasley."

"So soon?" Hermione asks, her head snapping up to look at Cynthia.

"Yeah she works in the Ministry."

Just then Reggie approaches the table, also bearing a letter no doubt similar to whatever is in Cynthia's.

"Hey Eleanor," he says, taking the seat beside her.

"Hey. What's going on, is Cynthia coming home for Christmas now?"

"Yeah that's what mum wrote about, apparently the incident last night caused a bit of a stir and she wants me and Cynthia in London with her for the holidays. Says we have to talk about some things."

"Right, okay. Wait, just you and Cyn?"

"Yeah. I'm really sorry but it looks like you'll just have to go home for Christmas, mum was very adamant about that."

"Oh, sure no worries. Where are you guys staying in London, that way I can still write and send you guys presents." Eleanor smiles, hiding her disappointment.

Beside her Cynthia looks lost for words, "Ah, we can't say."

"What?"

"We- we don't know where we're staying yet in London."

"Okay, well, just write to me when you do know then I guess."

The table takes on a stifling silence as Eleanor gets the feeling everyone else is in on something except her, even Hermione has this look on her face that she knows more about what's happening than she's letting on.


	12. Chapter 12

The term had just ended and Cynthia was hurrying through the dorm, collecting the last of her things while Eleanor sat sleepily on the end of her bed, not needing to hurry since she was catching the Hogwarts Express home later in the morning.

"I promise when I get there I'll write to you," she says finally satisfied she has everything packed.

"Can't you just tell me what's going on? You're catching the knight bus with Hermione, going somewhere I'm not allowed to even know about."

"I can't tell you. I know it sucks and I know we tell each other everything but this is just one thing I actually can not say."

With a quick goodbye Cynthia rushes out of the dorm, her bags clattering along behind her. Hermione and Reggie are waiting for her in the Entrance Hall with Professor McGonagall who is escorting them down to the bus.

"I feel so bad for just ditching her," Cynthia says, staring back at the way down to where her friend was probably beginning to get her own things together.

"We've got no choice," Reg says, keeping his voice down so McGonagall doesn't overhear them.

"Still doesn't make me feel any better."

They spend much of the trip in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts as the knight bus hurtles along the different roads and sometimes paths, picking up and dropping off a variety of witches and wizards.

When they finally arrive the bus screeches to a sudden stop and drops them off several streets away from their actual destination, stepping down they're greeted by a stern looking witch in a suit brilliant blue suit with her dark black hair pulled up in a severe bun, not a stray whisp in sight.

Automatically Cyn begins to tug on her own hair, a nervous habit she had developed years ago when she knew she was about to get in trouble.

"Hi mum."

"Cynthia. Reginald. And I'm guessing you must be the Hermione who we're also expecting?" replies the woman, surveying the bushy haired girl in front of her who nods silently.

"Well come on we haven't got all day."

Turning on her heel the three of them jump to action, grabbing hold of their luggage and doing their best to keep up with the brisk pace being set.

They enter Grimmauld Place where Cynthia and Reggie are handed a slip of paper identifying this as 12 Grimmauld Place, the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

"This place?" Cynthia asks, certain that the headquarters for the group that her mother was constantly working for would be somewhere more spectacular than some random muggle street in London.

"Yes this place now get inside," she snaps.

Upon walking in they are bombarded by a screaming woman, shrieking about blood traitors and mudbloods and all sorts of horrible things.

Someone runs into the hallway and pulls curtains over the portrait from which the sound is coming from and Cynthia gets a good look at her surroundings.

She could tell from the crest that this was the house of the Black family and everything around them looked ancient with a layer of dust and grime.

Beside her Hermione has already headed upstairs, clearly already familiar with the place and Cynthia and Reggie are being ushered down into the kitchen.

"Sit."

Knowing better than to waste their mother's time the two of them take the first seats in front of them, neither one daring to make a noise.

"In light of some growing concerns the members of the order and myself have agreed that you should be more involved in the Order. Well, Reginald for now, Cynthia you will simply do as you're told and stay out of everyone's way. Don't interrupt me. Cynthia you will be on your best behaviour, you're here as a privilege and because I need to know you're safe."

She turns now to look only at Reggie, "Reginald, you're of age. You're graduating after this year and I need you to be prepared, while you're here over the holidays you will sit in on meetings and listen and learn. When you go back to school you will keep your head down and focus on your N.E.W.T.s and when you graduate you can have a more active role if you want, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," he says a smile playing on his lips.

_Damn him. _Thinks Cynthia. _He's wanted this all year since he heard there was such a thing as the Order and now I'll never hear the end of it._

"I know I don't need to tell you both that this doesn't get back to that friend of yours Eleanor, I don't care how good of a person you say she is. She is not to find out about the Order from either of you."

This last bit she emphasises by glaring at Cynthia, knowing which of her children she would have the most trouble with.

"Oh Katherine there you are, Moody's looking for you," calls out a friendly looking woman with flaming red hair.

"I'll talk more with you later," their mother says, hurrying out the door.

"You two must be hungry but dinner will be ready soon, why don't you go on upstairs and I'll give you a call when it's ready."

They do as the woman says, going out to the hallway again where they pass a man who looks strikingly familiar humming christmas carols under his breath as he hangs more christmas decorations.

Shaking off the feeling Cynthia leaves Reggie to his own devices and, following the sound of laughter finds Fred and George upstairs in a lounge room.

"Are you guys okay?" She asks, leaning up against the doorway.

"Oh wow you're here," George says, snapping to attention and crossing the room in a few strides to sweep her up in a giant hug.

"They said dad'll be fine. If it hadn't been for Harry though he probably would've died."

"He didn't though which is great, I don't think mum could handle that what with Percy being the ass that we always knew he was," Fred chimes in from his spot on one of the lounges.

"How are you even here?" George asks, releasing Cyn from his hug and pulling her over to sit down.

"Mum's part of the Order, she said she wanted to keep me and Reggie safe. And she wants him sitting in on meetings -"

"What?" George interrupts.

"No way, he gets to sit in and not us? We're older than him!" Fred finishes.

"You don't sit in on them?"

"Mum won't let us," Fred says grouchily.

"Oh. By the way, who's the guy downstairs decorating the house? I thought he looked familiar."

"Don't freak out but it's Sirius Black. It's a long story but all you need to know is he's completely innocent and really not that bad of a guy once you know him."

"Right. And I take it the woman downstairs is your mother?"

"Yeah, don't worry I'll introduce you to her properly at Dinner. She's going to love you."

The holidays were passing by magnificently, they finished decorating the house and, as George had predicted his mother was incredibly happy to meet Cynthia, saying how dating her might be one of the most sensible things he's done.

By the time they go to bed on Christmas Eve the house was no longer the solemn mess it had been when she arrived, every surface gleaming and hung with decorations. On Christmas morning Cynthia woke up to a pile of presents at the foot of her bed.

From her mother and father she got tickets to go see her favourite Quidditch team in the Summer holidays and Reggie has given her a broom care kit knowing her old one was running low, there is also a present from Mr and Mrs Weasley and when she opens it a fluffy yellow jumper drops out with a big black C embroidered on the front. Pulling it on over her clothes she turns to the last present from George which turns out to be a gorgeous golden locket with her name engraved on the front.

"How on earth did you afford it?" She asks him later on their way to St Mungo's hand in hand.

"Don't worry, nothing bad I promise, you know better than anyone that Fred and I have a purely legitimate way of earning money."

"Mm yes but you're saving that money not spending it all on me."

Blushing she follows the rest of the group into the hidden entrance of St Mungo's and they spend the day visiting Mr Weasley in his ward who is also very happy to meet her. Halfway through their visit Cynthia followed Harry, Hermione and Ron around St Mungo's, leaving the rest of the Weasley's to have some private time together, currently arguing over the fact that Mr Weasley had allowed a young healer to experiment with muggle stitches on his wounds.

While they were looking around they ran into none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, who had apparently lost his memory and been spending his time here with the mind of a child. Shortly after they run into Neville and his grandmother there to visit his parents, Cynthia wanting to give him privacy and turning back to go find Fred and George.

"I think you made mum's day wearing that when we went out," George said later that evening when they were curled up together by the fireplace.

"I love it, my mum's not really into anything crafty so this is the first handmade gift I've ever had. Plus it is _soo_ comfy."

George leans in a little closer, "You are so cute you know that?" His eyes dart down to look at her lips for a second before she closes the gap, kissing him slowly and lightly. Pulling her closer to him, he deepens the kiss, laying her back on the lounge and gaining more speed and enthusiasm as they lose themselves in the kiss. At some point they shed their jumpers and Cyn became highly aware of George's hand sitting under her shirt, the side of her waist burning and tingling under his touch.

"Just what on earth do you think you are doing George Weasley." A shrill voice cries. The two of them snap apart instantly, falling off the couch in the process and struggling to make themselves presentable as Molly Weasley scurries over shooing them both off to their own separate rooms, rambling all the way about teenagers and their hormones.

Inside her room Cynthia climbs into bed, a smile plastered on her face and her cheeks still flushed and her lips beginning to sting from the ferocity of the kiss. Despite all the uncertainty of the adults around them, this was by far the best Christmas yet.


	13. Chapter 13

Christmas had been pleasant. The same as every year. Eleanor had arrived home and tucked away her trunk and wand, setting aside any affiliation with the wizarding world while she was home.

She hadn't seen much of her father in the lead up to christmas, instead going with her two younger sisters, Lilian and Imogen, to the cinemas or helping her stepmom in the cafe. It wasn't that he was unkind, or that she didn't like him. But when they were together a feeling always existed between them that neither could quite explain.

Maybe it was because she looked so like her mother had, maybe she reminded him of a world he had tried to leave behind, or maybe he was jealous because his daughter inherited the magic that had abandoned him. Most likely it was a combination of everything.

Nevertheless on Christmas Day it was the first day they had spent any considerable time together as a family exchanging gifts and pleasantries. Eleanor had gotten a few gifts from her parents and sisters, her favourite being a camera and a collection of CDs to her favourite muggle musicals.

The first few days being home she kept a lookout every day for an owl bearing news from Cynthia or Reggie. Everyday she woke up with the sun and sat staring out the window, by Christmas Day though she had given up any hope of hearing from them, and wasn't surprised when still nothing had turned up.

Now she was back on the train, returning to a place she felt more at home at than surrounded by her family and yet she still felt completely isolated. She had searched the train when they boarded and couldn't find Cynthia or Reggie or any of the Weasleys anywhere. Susan was curled up in their carriage reading a book she'd gotten for Christmas so Eleanor was left to sit in silence and wait.

It isn't until dinner that evening that she has a chance to talk to Cynthia who sits down in the seat next to her as though she hasn't just spent the entire Christmas break ignoring her.

"So. How was Christmas?" Eleanor asks, unable to keep the iciness out of her voice.

"It was good, it was-. Look I'm sorry I didn't write to you. I- I wasn't allowed and there's just so much that I can't say at the moment but please trust me if I could, I would tell you."

The response doesn't satisfy Eleanor, if anything it just makes her angrier that other people are deciding what she can and cannot know, excluding her from something. That being said, this was Cynthia and she knew that if she could, she would tell her. So instead of snapping back she smiles and tells her not to worry about it.

"So how was it really? Did you end up spending time with George at all?"

"It was great. And I don't think it'll hurt to say that yes I spent all Christmas with him, with his whole family in fact."

"Wow, so do his parents like you?"

"I think they do I was a very polite, nice girl - at least while they were around. There's just one thing."

"Oh?"

"We were cuddling. On the lounge and we started kissing and then there was more kissing and then-"

"And then?"

"...And then his mother walked in the room."

A shriek of laughter escapes Eleanor, Cynthia's face turns a bright beet red and across the table Susan lets out a snort of laughter.

"It is not funny."

"It is," laughs Susan.

Over the next few days things seemed to be returning to a sort of normal and the loneliness that had shrouded Eleanor on the return to Hogwarts was forgotten as she and Cynthia began to plan what they would be doing for Valentine's Day.

"Well obviously something in Hogsmeade since the two coincide. Ooh, we could go on a double date!" Cynthia says over a cup of steaming tea, curled up on one of the lounges of the common room.

"I guess that could be fun," Eleanor sighs.

"What? You don't think it would be fun?"

"No it's not that. It's just." She stops for a moment, looking around to check anyone left in the common room this late wasn't listening. "How did you do it? How did you get so much further ahead than me in so much less time?"

"Ahead of you? El I don't-"

"Kissing." Eleanor says, louder than she'd have liked before she lowers her voice, "I mean, you two were friends that liked each other and then you kissed and now you are this amazing couple who are so overly affectionate. And I have been on like half a dozen dates with Reggie and we haven't, I mean we."

"You two haven't kissed yet?" She interjects.

"No."

"I just thought you were really private about it but. Oh El. I don't have a straight answer for that. All I can say is that you have to remember how much of a dork my brother is. I know he doesn't really look it anymore but I can guarantee you that he is still the biggest dork of a loser brother who knows his way around a girl like he knows his way around Quidditch Pitch - he doesn't."

A small smile creeps onto Eleanor's face.

"Don't wait for him to make the first move because he could probably go the rest of his life skirting around it. And trust me, once you start kissing, you'll never want to stop."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Just, please. When it does happen, save all the details for Susan cos I don't think I need to hear how my brother kisses."

"Haha okay, I'll do my best."

"Where is she by the way?"

"In bed I think."

"Mm, we should probably head to bed too."

The next morning Susan is up before any of them, leaving Cynthia and Eleanor to make their own way up to breakfast where the Great Hall is filling with other students. Taking a seat at their table they had just begun to eat when an owl drops the Daily Prophet down for Cynthia.

"You're not reading that trash?"

"It pays to stay informed," she says, handing over the payment for the owl.

"Shit, Cyn look at the headline." Eleanor says as the paper is unrolled.

_Mass Breakout from Azkaban Ministry Fears Black is 'Rallying Point' for old Death Eaters_

Across the front page ten photos of wizards and a witch stare out at them, many of the names familiar to both girls who had heard them whispered over the years by their parents with a kind of horror. Even Eleanor whose father had tried to shut out the wizarding world recognised the name of Bellatrix Lestrange, who had, amongst her crimes of torturing aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom, been the one responsible for her own mother's death.

"Do you think this is why we haven't seen Susan?"

"What do you mean," Cynthia asks, still reading through the article.

"The wizard that killed her aunt, uncle and cousins was one of the ones who escaped. I only lost one person and I'm rattled, who knows how she's feeling?"

Without needing to say anything else the two get up from the table and make their way out, searching the castle for Susan who they eventually find in one of the girl's bathrooms, wiping away a few tears.

"I'm okay," she says as she untangles herself from the massive hug they had smothered her in. "It's just, it's real now you know? Like there is some sort of force amassing, there is another war coming whether we want it to or not."


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days had stumbled by, Susan and a few others who had lost family members to the escaped death eaters finding out what it was like to have people gossiping about you behind your back.

Eleanor threw herself more and more into the DA lessons perfecting her spells and technique while also fitting in all her homework and time to work on the Hufflepost. On Friday afternoon she found herself sitting with Reggie in one of the classrooms avoiding the freezing cold of the school grounds.

"She wants to what?" He asks, scooting a little closer to Eleanor and the fireplace they were sitting by.

"She wants to go on a double date. For lunch, on Valentine's Day."

"Where I'll get to watch my little sister make out with that stupid Weasley boy."

"Hey," says Eleanor, hitting him lightly on the arm. "Be nice, George has a lot of fun yes but he is far from stupid and even if he was Cynthia likes him. A lot. So you have to accept that and be nice."

"Mmm. But I don't have to like it." He says, frowning a little.

"Aw come one. You just don't like it because she's your little sister."

"And because he doesn't take anything seriously and will probably just break her heart. Either that or she'll break his when she comes to her senses. She's probably only-"

Reggie is cut off when Eleanor leans forward and kisses him hard on the mouth, just long enough to stop him from saying anything else, before pulling back, red faced and barely breathing, for his reaction.

"What was?"

"I don't want to talk about them right now," Eleanor says barely above a whisper kissing him again but softer this time, taking her time to experience the softness of his lips against her own. Slowly, almost unsure of himself, he relaxes and begins to kiss her back.

The cold is forgotten now, it's just the two of them huddled together in an empty classroom kissing long and sweetly, as though he's afraid he'll scare her off if he moves too quickly. At first Reggie didn't know what to do with his hands but now they were resting on Eleanor's waist, her own buried in his tangle of black curls.

When they finally stop for breath he pulls her into his arms, her back to his chest and they sit there together in a peaceful silence for a little while longer.

"I have to go soon," Eleanor says, twisting around to look at Reggie.

"Right. Your lessons. I don't know why you're still bothering with him."

"Because I need to get into this class Reggie. It means so much to me that I do and I know that he is an ass but he is my only way into it and I won't let him be the reason why I don't get that chance."

"It's only alchemy."

"No, it's so much more than just alchemy. It's, oh it's hard to explain okay but just trust me, I need to get into this class."

He doesn't reply to this and Eleanor kisses him once more quickly before standing up, "I'm sorry but I really have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

She leaves the classroom, shivering against the sudden chill of the evening air and wraps her scarf around her, hoping that there is a free seat by one of the fireplaces in the library.

Entering the library she finds Malfoy sitting, his head bent over a book, at a table in a reasonable range to the warmth.

"I wasn't sure you'd still turn up."

"I told you before the holidays, I'm not letting the fact that you are an absolute ass and bully stop me from getting the grades I need for that class."

"And what about the grades I need?"

"Is that your way of saying could we please start with Transfiguration today Eleanor?"

He just stares at her icily for a minute before opening his transfiguration book and handing it to her to look over.

"Oh yes Eleanor that would be very helpful," she says in her best attempt at replicating his voice.

"I do not sound like that."

"You just can't hear how similar it is because the politeness the words convey is so foreign and unfamiliar it's distracting."

She can feel, without looking up that he is staring her down with a new kind of ferocity. "What's got you so chatty this evening?"

"I'm not, this is just what people call small talk. It fills uncomfortable silences and situations, like talking to you."

"I make you uncomfortable?"

"You make me angry and hateful, and that makes it uncomfortable."

"I don't understand what I've done to you that was so despicable that I make you hateful."

"You haven't done anything to me. But you're a bully and you insulted my best friend's boyfriend and got him banned from playing Quidditch. And generally you're rude to anyone that isn't pureblooded and Slytherin."

"I was never terribly rude to you though was I? In fact I thought I was quite pleasant at times."

"But it's about more than just how you treat one person. What type of person am I if I accept who you are because you're nice to me but ignore how deplorably you behave towards other people?"

"A loyal person? Isn't that the point of having friends? Of having someone who will stand by you because of the relationship and bond you have despite everything else that is happening around you? I thought that was the point of Hufflepuff, that you were all so loyal to the friends you made."

Eleanor bristles a bit at this, annoyed that he had sounded so right and thinking about her own friendship with Cynthia. When she had first started at Hogwarts she had no filter, telling people everything how it was and that was one of the qualities that had drawn them together. Though to others she was rude, offensive and a bully, and Eleanor had stuck by her, had defended her because she saw there was more to this girl who didn't care what others thought, and when they became friends she knew she would fight anyone who dared to cross her. How was that any different?

_It's different because Cynthia and her family isn't working with Voldemort, even if he'd never admit to that openly. It's one thing to be loyal to a friend who's a bit of a bully, another thing entirely to defend someone who will probably one day become a death eater._

Shaking her head she looks at Malfoy again, you're right. We are loyal to our friends. But you and I aren't friends and we never will be."

Her reply silences Malfoy and for the remainder of the evening they only talk about the work in front of them, despite their differences finding common ground in Potions and Transfiguration and how much they were both willing to set aside to show their teachers they could do this.


	15. Chapter 15

The last few weeks of January passed by in a blur of DA meetings, Hufflepost meetings, a mountain of homework and lessons with Malfoy that had become stiflingly formal and were easily the most dreaded part of Eleanor's day.

When Valentine's Day arrived Eleanor was finally relieved to have a whole day away from all the work and stress, getting up with Cynthia early in the morning to begin choosing outfits and do their hair and makeup.

"I wonder if Umbridge has ever had a Valentine?" Cynthia asks around the bobby pins held between her teeth as she does her best to tame her hair which, now that it was growing out, was in an awkward stage of being both too long and too short to do anything with.

"Ugh. Probably not, maybe that's why she's so horrible." Eleanor replies, checking her reflection and adjusting her own hair.

"Mmm probably. Ah, I need to do something about my hair and soon. Just look at this regrowth!" She pouts, as Eleanor acknowledges the growing situation of Cynthia's hair. What had started out as a bright bubblegum blue was now faded and dull and the regrowth of Cynthia's light brown hair wasn't improving the look.

"That's the problem with Hogwarts. Nowhere to go to get your hair done. Should've done something about it during the holidays."

"I couldn't."

"Hmm, well if you want I'm sure I can have a go at cutting off the colour at least."

"No thanks. I need you cutting my hair like I need a stinging jinx to the face."

Doing the best she can to finish arranging her hair the two of them wait in the common room for Susan to wake up before heading up to the Great Hall for breakfast and to pass time while they waited to go to Hogsmeade.

"Susan, who are you bringing to lunch?" Cynthia asks as the three of them make their way into Hogsmeade, eager to get some shopping done before meeting up with the boys.

"Camilla Birch."

"Who?"

"You know, she's a Hufflepuff in the year above, I group up with her at DA meetings sometimes. And at the last one she mentioned having no plans yet for Valentine's Day so I asked her if she'd like to come along."

Walking into Hogsmeade the trio make their way through the shops, buying lollies from Honeydukes to replenish their stock back up at the castle before wandering into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Dervish and Banges occasionally one of them buying something they needed to replace for school.

Outside Zonko's Joke Shop, unsurprisingly they come across George, Fred and their friend Lee Jordan.

"Happy Valentine's," George says when he spots Cynthia pulling her close as they instantly forget the world around them.

"I just vomited a little in my mouth," Susan says to Eleanor, who nods, averting her eyes to give the two a modicum of privacy.

"Fred, Lee, how are you two spending your day?" Eleanor asks the others who seem to also be trying not to ogle the pair.

"Probably just hang around Zonko's, maybe duck into the three broomsticks for some food before going back up to the castle," Fred says.

"You two won't need lunch if you keep eating each other's faces," Susan says in a matter of fact voice, the only one who hadn't blushed and looked away.

Despite Susan's comment George and Cynthia don't make any response and Fred suggests going for a look through Zonko's while they wait for them to rejoin the rest of them.

"We'll show you the best products to buy in preparation for April Fools," Fred says, leading them inside.

When they emerge Cynthia and George have broken apart and are waiting patiently for the others to come out to head off for lunch, George's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Do you two ever fully separate?" Fred jokes when he walks out and spots them.

"Fred, I am simply being a nice boyfriend and keeping my date warm."

"Yeah because the cardigan, jumper, sweater, gloves, scarf and beanie just aren't cutting it," Susan says from the back of the group.

"You're just full of remarks today aren't you?" Cynthia asks, smiling a little.

Saying goodbye to Fred and Lee the four of them enter the Three Broomsticks where they find Reggie already sitting at a large table with another girl with long black hair and a Hufflepuff scarf on.

"Hi, you must be Camilla." Eleanor says, taking a seat beside Reggie who pecks her lightly on her cheek.

"I swear if this turns into a makeout session Camilla and I will be ordering our food to go," Susan says taking a seat beside Camilla who laughs a little too loudly.

"No one's making out with anyone," Reggie says sharply, his stern gaze fixed on George.

A momentary silence falls on the table as George and Reggie seem to size one another up before Cynthia jumps up from her seat and gets everyone's orders for lunch.

"El, will you help me bring over the drinks," she asks.

"Be nice," Eleanor whispers to Reggie before getting up to follow her friend over to the bar.

"What the hell is that about?" Cynthia asks while they wait for the drinks to be made.

"Oh it's nothing. He's your older brother. He's bound to be a little overprotective and prickly towards anyone that you date."

The two of them glance back over at the table where Susan and Camilla look to be having a great time while Reggie and George just sit staring at one another.

"Truth is. I don't think he's the biggest fan of George right now. But-" Eleanor says, holding her hand up to stop Cynthia from interrupting her, "I am sure that after today, when he sees how happy you two are together and how genuinely nice George is that his mind will change."

"It better."

Carrying the drinks back over to the group they arrive just in time to hear Camilla let out another laugh at something Susan has said.

"Here you go," Eleanor says, placing a mug of butterbeer down in front of Reggie. "Lunch shouldn't be too long."

Reggie nods in acknowledgment, still not tearing his gaze away from George and again an awkward silence descends upon the table.

"Uh so, thanks for letting me tag along," Camilla says, "Susan said you guys wouldn't mind and it definitely beats spending the day back up in the castle."

"No worries. I'm sorry we haven't ever really talked much, but I do remember your face from around the common room. You play a lot of wizard's chess yeah?"

"Yeah that's me," Camilla nods with a smile, "I love it, I used to play normal muggle chess when I was little and then after I arrived at Hogwarts another student introduced me to the wizard's version and I've been playing it ever since."

Camilla's presence proves to be exactly what they need as the conversation sparks up again with everyone asking her questions, anything to avoid Reggie and George coming to a confrontation.

Lunch arrives not long after and everyone eats in relative silence, only commenting on how good the food is. Occasionally Cynthia and George will whisper something to the other and laugh or smile which only seemed to aggravate Reggie more.

"I'll go get some more drinks shall I?" George says after lunch is finished, making his way over to the bar.

"Okay what the hell is your problem," Cynthia asks the moment he is out of earshot.

"What problem? I've been perfectly amicable."

"Amicable my ass you've barely said a word and you've spent all your time staring down my boyfriend."

"Oh I agree. And kudos to George because you have managed to perfect the kind of withering gaze Professor McGonagall would be proud of and that boy has not flinched once," Susan interjects from her end of the table, earning her own withering stare from him.

"And ah, on that, Camilla and I are going to go. I'll see you two later."

The two of them get up, go over to find George and say goodbye and then slip out of the Three Broomsticks hand in hand.

Eleanor watched them go and felt a little jealous that they had both seemed to have had a nice time and she had spent all of lunch nudging Reggie in the leg whenever he looked about to say something to George.

"Come on Cynthia, you can hardly blame me for not liking the guy. He's a class clown, you could do so much better."

"Excuse me? How dare you, George is not just a class clown and I don't appreciate you talking about him that way. I don't care if I'm your little sister and you have this thing about me dating someone. You will be happy for me."

"No, because I know you Cyn, you're only dating him as a way to get back at mum and dad. Some crazy way to grab their attention when you bring him home for the holidays."

"Reggie stop it," Eleanor says from beside him, watching as George draws closer to the table at the noise the two were making with their argument.

"I'm not just going to pretend I'm happy for you. You're just a child you don't know what you want, I'm just trying to look out for you."

"What about Eleanor, does she know what she wants? Is she a child? Maybe you aren't right for her," Cynthia snaps back, her voice rising with anger.

"What's going on," George asks as he reaches the table, automatically reaching to comfort Cynthia.

"We're leaving, that's what's going on. Sorry you had to sit through that Eleanor, I'll see you back in the common room later." With that she stands up and marches out, George hanging back for a moment.

"I have no intentions of hurting your sister, if that's why you-,"

"She's using you as some sort of childish way to get our parent's attention, don't say I didn't warn you," Reggie growls from his seat.

"I don't think she's the childish one here," George says calmly, before saying goodbye to Eleanor and turning to follow after Cynthia.

"I'm sorry I couldn't. I could not just sit quietly while she makes a mistake like this." Reggie says, turning to face Eleanor.

"She's your sister. You could have just said nothing, better yet you could have actually made an effort."

Eleanor didn't know how she felt about the outburst she'd just seen, and something inside her kept telling her to go after Cynthia but she knew George would be there and decided to let them try and enjoy the rest of their Valentine's together.

"I just want what's best for her."

"Yeah well, maybe what's best is that you keep your distance for a bit," Eleanor says, standing up from the table. Reggie suddenly looking dejected and hurt. Sighing she holds out her hand to him, "Come on, walk me back up to the castle and I'll try and forget just how much of an overprotective ass you can be."

When they finally return to the castle Reggie has cheered up, and kisses Eleanor lightly on the cheek before parting ways to go to his own common room.

"How'd the rest of lunch go?" Susan asks when Eleanor walks into the common room.

"Awful. You have the best sense of timing."

"Strong survival instincts," She says, beside her Camilla waves at Eleanor with a small smile.

"We're playing exploding snap if you wanna join."

"Yeah and there's a ton of chocolate if you want some of that too," Susan says, sliding a box of it across the floor to sit beside the stack of cards.

"As long as it's not intruding."

"Not at all, the more the merrier," Camilla says, patting the spot beside her for Eleanor to sit.

They played late into the evening, even after Cynthia had returned gushing over how remarkable George had been in cheering her up and producing even more chocolate to snack on as they played.


	16. Chapter 16

Over the course of the following week Eleanor found herself spending most of her evenings studying and polishing off assignments with Susan while Cynthia and the rest of the Hufflepuff team practised for hours in preparation for the upcoming game against Gryffindor.

When George had spent one afternoon with them they found even he couldn't disagree that Hufflepuff was going to destroy Gryffindor.

"Look, they're my house and I'm still cheering for them but since Fred, Harry and I got taken off the team they're terrible. Well, Ginny's okay and Ron has his moments but the two they have playing as beaters are pretty bad.

That Saturday Eleanor and Susan wished Cynthia luck before heading up into the stands, Eleanor with her camera hanging around her neck for some shots of the game and of the winners after. To say the match had been eventful would be accurate. It lasted only twenty-two minutes but in that time Eleanor had managed to capture one of the Gryffindor beaters hitting a chaser of theirs in the mouth and the other falling backwards off his broom while Ron as the keeper missed over a dozen saves.

"I'd like to cheer and rub it in that we won but that was just. That was painful to watch," Susan said after the game had ended and they were making their way down to find Cynthia.

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm not in Gryffindor right now," Eleanor grimaces.

By Monday morning however the defeat of Gryffindor was quickly replaced with a frenzy when the morning post arrived.

"Since when have you ordered the Quibbler?" Susan laughs when Cynthia pays an owl for the copy.

"I heard there was something in it that would interest me- Oh, oh my god have a look," she says, shoving the copy under their noses.

_Harry Potter Speaks out at Last: the truth about He Who Must Not Be Named and the night I saw him return._

"That's-"

"Brilliant," Cynthia finishes, glancing up when she spots Umbridge trotting past on her way to the Gryffindor table where Harry and his friends had dozens of owls in front of them.

"That's probably the responses," Eleanor suggests.

"Yeah. That's not gonna go down well."

Susan was right, within the day it became an expellable offense to be caught with a copy of the Quibbler which only meant that everyone in the school was reading it over the next few weeks whenever Umbridge wasn't looking.

Eleanor even caught a glimpse of a copy peeking out from Malfoy's bag when they were having an impromptu meeting to help him with a transfiguration assignment due later that week.

"I didn't think you'd read something like that," she says softly, looking pointedly at the bag.

"Shut up. Some second year Slytherin handed it to me, I have no interest in reading something printed in The Quibbler."

"Mhmm, whatever you say."

Before Malfoy retorts a woman's scream shatters the silence of the library and a commotion from somewhere down in the Entrance Hall sends the both of them dashing out, haphazardly shoving books back into their bags.

When they reach the top of the steps leading down into the Entrance Hall they find themselves staring at dozens of students who had been eating dinner and Eleanor even spots Harry standing by Snape from the direction of the dungeons.

"What the hell is going on?" She says, not expecting an answer from anyone.

"It's Trelawney," mutters a voice next to her, turning she finds herself face to face with Reggie who grabs her hand, pulling her closer to him, beside her she swears she can hear a snigger.

Sure enough in the centre of all the chaos is a distraught looking Professor Trelawney, two suitcases on the ground beside her. McGonagall was patting her on the back while Umbridge looked on with a sickeningly gleeful look.

"She's been sacked," Reggie supplies from beside her.

"By Umbridge? But I didn't think she could actually, I mean- Dumbledore is still Headmaster."

At that moment the doors from the grounds outside open and Professor Dumbledore himself walks in, within moments he has assured Professor Trelawney that she may stay living at Hogwarts and told off Umbridge.

"And where will the new Divination teacher stay?" She simpers.

"I have already arranged for a new teacher and he will prefer to be lodged on the ground floor so that is not an issue."

Suddenly Eleanor swore she could hear hooves from outside the door and a few moments later, from the mist of outside, a pale haired Centaur steps into the Hall.

"This is Firenze. I think you'll find him suitable."

"A centaur?" Susan asks the next day.

"A centaur, as the new Divination teacher. How did you not know anything about this?"

"I finished dinner early and then went back to the common room to finish some work," She says."Where were you by the way? Reggie came looking for you."

"I was in the library with Malfoy. It's fine though I ran into Reggie on the steps."

"At least Dumbledore was there to ensure Trelawney was okay."

"Yeah. But, Susan what happens if one day he isn't? Is the ministry always going to have so much control over Hogwarts?" Eleanor asks, glancing up towards the dozens of educational decree notices on the Hufflepuff notice board.

"I hope not," she says, "But I mean, it can't get much worse can it? There aren't that many more things she can have power over."


	17. Chapter 17

The next few weeks were surprisingly calm, Reggie and Eleanor managed to go on another date amidst the stress of all the exams coming up and Cynthia and George had begun to get creative at hiding places to avoid the wrath of Umbridge since they didn't share a common room in which to make out.

"I'm just saying, it is very hard to get anywhere with someone not in your house. I don't know how you and Reggie are coping because I might just explode if I have to hide in a cramped corner to avoid the teachers. Not even Umbridge, all of them in general would have a fit if they caught George and I." Cynthia says one day in April at the DA meeting.

"Reggie and I don't have a problem because we don't do anything that we need to hide. At all, he's soooo," Eleanor pauses for a moment thinking of a word, "gentlemanly? Averse to PDA?"

"I don't know how you're okay with that," Cynthia smiles wickedly, a sudden wisp of silver bursting from her wand and briefly forming the shape of a hummingbird.

"Cute. And I'm okay with that because believe it or not there's a thing called going slow."

"But why though, isn't it boring?"

At this moment Susan turns around to face Cynthia. "Some people like to let the relationship really form before they begin sucking faces with one another."

"Excuse me, but since Valentine's you have gone out with someone new every week." Cynthia shoots back.

"I said some people, and I'm dating okay? Unlike you and Eleanor I have no interest in tying myself down to the first person I see."

"Not me. I don't think I can ever see George and I breaking up, and Eleanor and Reggie are great together, if a little slow, but it's cute," She adds when she sees the look on Eleanor's face.

She didn't say anything but Eleanor couldn't help but reflect a little on what Susan had said, was she really tying herself down?And what about Cynthia? She's so certain on her relationship with George lasting, yet no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't have that same certainty with Reggie.

_But he's so nice, and smart and handsome. Why can't we be together forever?_

Her thoughts are swept away when the door to the Room of Requirement opens and Dobby walks in, his whole body shaking. He walks up to Harry and tugs at his robes and everyone in the room quietens down - most of them unused to seeing House Elves in the castle.

"Harry Potter Sir. Dobby has come to warn you." Before the elf says anything else though he runs headfirst at the wall, Harry makes to grab him but Dobby merely bounces off the wall anyway, cushioned by all of Hermione's hats that he is continuing to wear.

"She-she."

"Who's she Dobby?" Harry asks, everyone in the room hardly daring to make a noise lest they startle the elf.

"Umbridge. Is it Umbridge? She hasn't found out about this, has she Dobby?"

The elf merely sinks to his knees and Harry only has to read the expression on his face to know he's right.

He says something else to the elf that Eleanor and Cynthia cannot hear but a moment later he faces the room and bellows so loudly it echoes across the walls.

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

With those words the room becomes alive with activity, students pushing their way out of the doorway and as fast as they can back to the common rooms.

Within seconds Eleanor had lost sight of Cynthia and Susan and was just doing her best to get through the crowd. When she finally did break free she heard voices coming from the corridor she had just left.

"Excellent work Malfoy. 50 points to Slytherin, now go round up as many of the others as you can."

_Crap._ Eleanor thinks to herself, searching for a way out of the hallway she had run into. All of the doors she tried were locked and she could hear steps drawing closer.

Reaching desperately for the last door it gives and she pulls it open immediately, closing the door behind her with as little noise as possible.

But in her eagerness to get away she hadn't taken in where she was actually going and now she found herself trapped in a dark cupboard with no exit but for the one that led into the hall where she could now here someone walking through, trying every door like she had been.

_Maybe I can stun whoever it is and make a run for the common room?_ She reaches for her wand but grabs nothing. Her wand is gone, fallen from her pocket where she had hastily stashed it as she ran from the Room of Requirement.

The person, Eleanor was sure it was only one, was getting closer and sooner or later they were going to try this door and find her and drag her off to Umbridge who would, at best expel her, worst, who knew?

As quietly as possible she shrinks back into the darkness of the cupboard, hoping if she makes herself small enough maybe whoever opened the door would just look right past her. She hears their footsteps directly outside the cupboard now and watches, frozen and transfixed with horror as the handle began to turn.

_Oh I hope Cyn and Susan get back to the Common Room okay._

The door swings open and Eleanor frowns in the sudden light that pours in, making it impossible to even think of hiding. Looking up she locks eyes with none other than Malfoy. She knows better than to plead for leniency, this is his way out of all her jabs and having to get lessons with her, and surely if she were expelled the teacher's would still let Malfoy in the class next year.

Handing Eleanor in to Umbridge was in every way the best thing for Malfoy to do. And yet he just continued to stand there in the doorway, grey eyes locked with Eleanor's. And as she waited for him to act she couldn't help but find they looked lonely, it was like getting a glimpse through a window at the little boy inside who only sought the approval of his family.

Still he stood there and did nothing until someone else could be heard from the other corridor, Pansy Parkinson most likely.

"What are you going to do?" She says, her voice barely a whisper.

Her words seem to wake him up and Eleanor watches, amazed as Draco closes the cupboard door, turning to call out to Pansy.

"This way's clear, let's go help the others check the library."

A breath of air escapes from Eleanor and she waits in the cupboard until she is sure she can't hear anyone, slipping out into darkness she knows she has no chance of finding her wand now, instead turning on her heel and taking the fastest route back to the common room and wondering to herself just how many people had been caught and taken to Umbridge. And why on earth she hadn't been.


	18. Chapter 18

When Eleanor got back to the common room that night she found both Cynthia and Susan, as well as most of the other Hufflepuffs from the DA. But even in the safety of their own common room they thought it best to get to bed as a precaution.

The next morning notices had been placed all over the school declaring Umbridge as Headmistress and word had got out that Professor Dumbledore had overcome the ministry officials who came for him and made off in the night.

"It doesn't matter that we weren't caught," Cynthia sighs the next morning as they sit down to lunch in the Great Hall, "One of those bloody members of this Inquisitorial Squad managed to nab the parchment with everyone's names on it."

"Do we know what's going to happen yet?" Eleanor asks.

"Probably just detentions. Would've been worse probably if she hadn't managed to get rid of Dumbledore, I bet that sated some of her thirst for punishments."

"Have you heard?" Susan says, out of breath and slumping down in the seat beside Eleanor.

"Heard what?"

"The Hufflepost. It's disbanded."

"What? How? As far as she's aware we've only written what she's approved." Cynthia asks.

"Yes but every person on the Hufflepost also had their name on the DA parchment and 'in order to ensure we fully understand the repercussions of our actions steps must be taken.'" Susan says, the last bit in her best attempt at Umbridge's voice.

"Could still be worse. We could've been expelled," Eleanor reasons.

"Oh good, you're all here," greets Fred and George, appearing suddenly by the table. "You need to stay here, make sure the teachers can see you so you don't get in trouble for anything."

Without saying another word they amble off out of the Great Hall. Susan and Eleanor turn to Cynthia for an explanation.

"Oh I don't know. But George has been talking recently, reckons he and Fred don't have much interest in staying to do their exams. Apparently they've bought premises somewhere to open a business."

"So, they're going to leave? Just like that?" Eleanor asks.

"Can they take me with them," Susan asks.

The three of them spend more time in the Hall than they normally would have for lunch but they thought it best to take the twins advice and be sure that the teachers could see them all sitting, talking and not taking part in whatever was about to happen.

Finally they hear a commotion, a booming noise from somewhere upstairs. Doing their best not to act like they knew anything, even though they really hadn't the three of them simply head off to their next class. On their way they pass Umbridge in one of the corridors chasing down dragons of multicoloured sparks.

"Are they?"

"Fireworks," Eleanor laughs, hurrying off to the next corridor to avoid Umbridge. "They're brilliant."

For the rest of the afternoon the fireworks continued to roam the school and many of the teachers refused to deal with them themselves, instead sending students off to fetch Umbridge to fix the problem causing great amusement for everyone.

They even provided enough of a distraction that Eleanor managed to get through the day without her wand, though she knew she'd have to find it soon since there was no way she could tell her father she needed a new one because she lost this one running away from a secret meeting.

"Don't you have lessons tonight with Malfoy?" Cynthia asks Eleanor when the last class for the day ends.

"Well, yeah I guess. I don't really know." Eleanor says, thinking back to last night.

"I mean I know he's in that Inquisitorial Squad now but, it doesn't change that much does it? He'll still be an ass that you just have to sit down and do work with for an hour or so."

Eleanor stops walking and grabs Cynthia to stop her as well. "Look, I didn't have time to say anything last night but, well I didn't exactly make it back to the common room unfound."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Malfoy _found_ me! But he didn't do anything. He just kind of stared for a bit and then walked away as if he hadn't seen me."

"Maybe he didn't-"

"Trust me, he saw me and on top of that, I've no idea where my wand is. It must've fallen from my robes in the rush."

"I can go look for it if you want. While you go do this lesson thing, or at least go see if he turns up."

Eleanor thanks Cynthia profusely before bounding off to the library, anxious to see if she would get the chance to talk to him. She's so caught up in how she could ask him that she doesn't notice at first when Reggie falls into step beside her.

"What are you doing here?" She asks when she does finally see him.

"Studying actually. And I hadn't seen you all day, I wanted to make sure you got away okay last night." While he talks he takes hold of her hand, "I take it you still have those lessons with Malfoy?"

"Yeah." Eleanor nods.

"Look, if you want I could stay, keep you company so you don't have to be alone with him or-"

"That's really nice Reg but I'll be fine, I can handle some smart ass comments myself."

The look on Reggie's face tells her he's about to insist but she doesn't give him a chance as she spots Malfoy sitting at their usual table.

"Thanks again, but I'll be fine." She turns to walk away but Reggie pulls her back.

"Come find me if you need me okay?"

"Reggie, really, I'll be fine."

She lets him kiss her lightly on the cheek before he lets go of her hand and she turns back to the table where Malfoy is waiting, a lazy smirk on his face as she approaches.

"Aww, he doesn't like me," he says, watching Reggie walk away.

"Not many people do," Eleanor replies, unsure if Malfoy was going to pretend that he hadn't seen her last night. "Can I ask something?"

"After you just insulted me? Sure." He says as he pulls his books out of his bag as though he had all the time in the world.

"Why didn't you turn me over to Umbridge? I heard you had no trouble with the other students you caught."

"Does it matter? The list had your name on it anyway," Malfoy says.

"It does matter. Because you had no way of knowing there was a list then and still you let me go."

For several minutes Malfoy is silent, flipping through the pages of his book and Eleanor thinks he might not reply.

"If I had taken you to Umbridge you might've been expelled. Who would I have to torture twice a week then and who would I have to compete with next year in alchemy?"

"So, you didn't turn me in because you want someone in your alchemy class next year? That's crap. You don't care about anyone but yourself, wouldn't being in a class alone mean more attention for you?"

"Hey I care for some people okay?" He snaps, "Now, can we move on from this? Anyone would think you wanted to be given to Umbridge to punish."

Knowing she wouldn't get any other answers out of him she nods her head, pulling her own books out of her bag, "Thank you."

"Mhm. Oh, by the way. You dropped this, well I'm pretty sure it's yours." From his bag he pulls out Eleanor's wand and hands it to her.

"Don't lose it again, I don't enjoy having to pick up after people."

"Thank you," she says again, realising she had no clue who the boy sitting across from her really was.


	19. Chapter 19

The Easter break arrived faster than normal, most likely due to the deluge of studying all of the fifth years were doing and taking a break from that now meant spending hours poring over the different pamphlets that had been placed out along with a notice for Careers advice from their heads of house.

"This one seems interesting," Susan says, passing Cynthia the pamphlet on wizard banking to look at.

"Mm, I always imagined you working in the ministry like your aunt, not out in the wild world as a curse breaker." Cynthia says.

"I think you'd be great at it," Eleanor chimes in, looking up from the pamphlet in her hand.

"What're you going to do?" Susan says, snatching it back.

Cynthia snorts lightly, "Journalism of course, and maybe authoring my own books. I could become the next Lockhart."

"Ahh yes, because claiming others work as your own and then obliviating your own mind is truly something to be aspired to." Susan says.

"I meant fame wise, smart ass."

"Eleanor? What do you think you'd like to do?"

"Healing," she says, handing them the pamphlet.

"Oof, at least an 'E' in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Cynthia says looking it over.

"It's been nice knowing you," Susan says, "Because with the amount of studying you'll be doing we'll never see you."

"When's your meeting?" Eleanor asks them.

"Susan's is Tuesday, and I'm on Wednesday, don't you have yours tomorrow?"

"Yup," Eleanor says, wondering what advice Professor Sprout would give her, would she tell her not to even think of taking alchemy with the grades she would need to maintain in her other classes?

She didn't have to wait long to find out. The next morning, while the others went off to Charms, Eleanor made her way to the head of Hufflepuff's office, knocking lightly on the door before entering.

"Ah, Miss Wicks, come in, come in."

Taking a seat opposite Professor Sprout, Eleanor notices another person sitting in the corner, clipboard in hand.

"Professor Umbridge is just here to observe, pretend she isn't here," Professor Sprout says, stressing the last part.

"So, have you had any thoughts as to what you would like to do when you leave Hogwarts?"

"Healing." She says without hesitation.

"Ah yes, a very noble career I must say. You are aware that it requires no lower than Exceeds Expectations in all your classes?"

"I am."

"And I believe you are also wishing to pursue alchemy next year, on the condition Professors Snape and McGonagall give their approval?"

"Yes."

"And you believe you can handle the study load?"

"I do." Eleanor says, trying her best to ignore the scratching of a quill on paper from behind her.

"Very well, in addition to your N.E.W.T.S here you would undergo further education and exams at St Mungos, I believe two years of theory and then you would be a trainee healer placed under someone fully qualified to shadow and learn from."

"Have I missed anything Professor Umbridge?" Sprout asks, turning to eye the new headmistress.

"Ahem. I believe you've covered it all. Though I would stress the high standards St Mungos has for accepting students and there will be no exceptions should you not achieve even one of the required grades."

"Th-thank you," Eleanor says, before leaving the room, another fifth year outside waiting their turn.

"How was it?" Cynthia asks when Eleanor catches up with them later in the day.

"Okay, be warned though, Umbridge is sitting in on the interviews."

"Oh. On second thought I don't think I'll be going."

Laughing they turn down a corridor when the noise of a commotion gets their attention from the direction of the Entrance Hall.

"What the?"

"Oh, it's probably Fred and George. He was talking to me last night, they're going to leave I think." Cynthia says as they turn to follow the source of the noise.

"Are you okay about him going?"

"I encouraged it actually, it's what they want to do. They don't need their N.E.W.T.s and who _would_ want to stay here? Besides, I have another two years to go, he was going to finish at the end of this year anyway, might as well get used to writing to him."

Rounding a corner they find a scene much like when Trelawny as fired as students fill up the stairway down into the Entrance Hall, even Peeves was hovering about watching the commotion. And there, in the centre of it all was Fred and George with the looks of someone who's just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Before Umbridge can dole out a punishment though, the twins summon their brooms which, with a loud crash, come flying out of Umbridge's office to clatter at their feet.

"We won't be seeing you."

"Yeah don't bother keeping in touch."

Mounting their brooms they look at the crowd of students gathered, "If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp as demonstrated upstairs, come to ninety-three Diagon Alley - Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Our new premises!"

The two of them flew into the air, yelling before they leave, "Give her hell from us Peeves."

To everyone's surprise Peeves sprang to a salute as the two sped away on their brooms.

"Well." Cynthia says.

"That was dramatic."

"I love that boy."

"I think most of the school does right now," Susan says, popping up behind them.

"Come on, let's get out of here before Umbridge takes her rage out on us," Eleanor says pulling the other two away.

For the rest of the week the portable swamp the twins had set off in the castle remained, many of the teachers claiming they couldn't do anything about it. Although Eleanor appreciated the trouble it was causing Umbridge it did mean that when she passed through on her way to lessons with Malfoy she had to wait for Filch to ferry her across.

"I'm late I know," she says as she slides onto the seat opposite Malfoy.

He barely acknowledged her arrival and within a few minutes they were both in the same routine of checking each other's work and offering their corrections or advice.

"Why are you so distracted tonight?" Malfoy asks after an hour when Eleanor had again hastily written the wrong thing down. "Daydreaming about holding hands with your boyfriend?"

"Holding hands?" Eleanor asks, barely paying attention with her attention still on her notes.

"Yeah, isn't that all you ever do? It's all I've ever seen you doing around the school. Bet that little kiss on the cheek the other day was a real high for you."

"Now you're just picking a fight."

"No. I'm stating what I've observed. When the two of you _are_ together, you barely look like you're dating. Honestly, aren't you friends with that blue haired freak that's spent the past six months with her tongue down one of those weasley kid's throats?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Eleanor sighs, looking up from the work at Malfoy's snide, smirking face.

"I mean, surely that's got to be frustrating watching your best friend get so much action all the time and you're lucky to get a kiss on the cheek."

"What's it even matter to you?"

"I'm just curious. Is it you who's such a prude, or him?"

"Just because a person doesn't throw themselves on another person every chance they get, doesn't make them a prude."

"No. But it makes them boring, and, in some cases, a damned idiot."

"Can we just get back to the work?"

"If that's what you really want."

"It is." Eleanor says, eyeing Malfoy warily until he returns his attention to the notes.

"I'm sorry." He says, "I'm so sorry that you're in such a boring relationship and that you'll never experience what real passion is." He sniggers a little.

Eleanor, fed up with his comments wacks him hard on the arm with the largest book on the table, "Stop it, or I'll leave."

"And fail your potions exam? You know you need to get an Outstanding in your OWLs to keep doing it. You need me."

She knows he's right. Dropping the book back on the table she glares at him a little longer. "What do you even know about romance? I don't see you with any girl but Parkinson and I pity the guy that chooses her."

"I know things. And not romance, lust, desire, sex they're all just as important."

"Yeah, yeah and you know as much about that as Filch does about casting a spell."

"You'd be surprised by the things I know."

When Eleanor doesn't deign to respond the conversation stops and they manage to return some focus to their work for another hour before they call it quits for the night.

"I can show you if you want," Malfoy says as they pack away their books.

"Show me what?"

"The things I know." A sly grin plays on his mouth and for a second Eleanor takes in how soft his lips look, and how his grey eyes seem to track her every movement.

"Fuck off Malfoy."


	20. Chapter 20

The kiss was rough and forceful, dominating. It took her breath away, sending a cascade of fireworks sparking along her body. His lips, soft and demanding meet with her own as his tongue grazes softly against hers. She can feel one of his hands slipping under her thin pyjamas, exploring the contours of her skin leaving behind a burning and light tingles everywhere he touched. With his other hand he held her arms above her head, pinning her down.

A soft moan escapes him as Eleanor buries her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to her savouring the warmth of his body pressed up against hers.

With a sigh Eleanor moans his name lightly, "Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" A voice from somewhere asks.

"Hmm?" Eleanor sighs, her bed suddenly feeling a lot emptier and colder, the blankets tangled up around her body which is covered in a fine layer of sweat.

"Did-did you just say Malfoy's name in your sleep?" The voice asks again.

Opening her eyes slowly and squinting against the light Eleanor finds herself facing Susan sitting on the bed opposite.

"N-no?" She says, the room swarming around her and her head still groggy and unfocused.

"I'm pretty sure you did, and you were moaning and- oh my god. Were you dreaming about Malfoy? Like, sexy dreaming?!" The pitch of her voice rises and Eleanor grimaces a little at the noise so soon after waking from a deep sleep.

"Of course not. It was, it wasn't anything I just-"

"You just dreamed about Malfoy."

"Shut up," Eleanor says, throwing the pillow from behind her at Susan's head.

"Are you coming to watch the game?" Cynthia asks, strolling into the room with a Gryffindor scarf wrapped around her neck.

"She is," Susan replies for Eleanor, pulling her from the bed.

Changing quickly Eleanor follows the others out to the stands, breakfast in hand, to watch the final game of the year, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

"Do you think I should tell him?" Eleanor whispers to Susan when Cynthia wanders ahead.

"Who?"

"Reggie!"

"That you were dreaming about another guy? Probably not."

"But doesn't he deserve to know? I'd want to know."

"It's up to you, though, maybe don't tell him who it was about."

Filing up into the stands Eleanor is horrified to find herself seated directly behind Reggie who had been there waiting for her.

"Morning," he says, moving aside so that she can fit beside him, "I brought coffee."

He holds up a steaming thermos for her to see but despite how much she yearns for it she doesn't accept.

The game begins a few minutes later and Eleanor is glad of the distraction, letting herself become absorbed into the game to avoid talking to him, or looking at him, or thinking of him.

"Are you okay El?" She hears him ask when the game is finished, Eleanor still staring numbly out at the field as the players touch down to the ground.

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you're okay? You haven't said a word, and I'm not even sure if you know who won despite seeming to watch the whole game."

With a sigh she turns to face Reggie, most of the other students still in their stand out of earshot and making their way down.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to keep anything from you."

"Are you?"

"I. Last night, I had a dream, about a guy. Not you," She trails off unable to look at him as she confessed to him and waiting for him to yell or storm off.

But he didn't. Holding her chin lightly he tilts her face up to look at him and smiles instead.

"It's okay. We can't control what we dream about and we're young and still growing up. It doesn't mean you love me any less and it only makes me love you more for being open and telling me."

His response takes her aback, how was this happening? How was he just accepting this and being okay with it? At that moment though she doesn't quite care and instead she smiles and embraces Reggie, who in turn kisses her lightly, his lips just grazing against hers, before they turn and follow the rest of the students out of the stands.

"And he was fine with it? Just like that?" Susan asks later that day as they're curled up in the common room, Cynthia huddled over a table writing a letter to George informing him that despite the odds Gryffindor had managed to win the Quidditch Cup.

"Yeah, just like that he said that it doesn't mean I love him any less or anything."

"Love?"

"Yeah, he kinda said he loves me, sorta, I guess." Eleanor picks at a thread at the end of a blanket.

"Did you say it back?"

"No."

"But you like him right?"

"Yeah I just, I like him but I still hardly know him."

Suddenly Susan sits upright like she's just been shocked. "What if he was so fine with it because he does the same thing?"

"What, dream about Malfoy?"

"No," Susan rolls her eyes, "Just, dreams about other people, other girls in general. Maybe that's why he's okay that you did."

"Do you really think that could be it?"

"I don't know, but it would explain why he didn't mind. Does he know it was Malfoy though?"

"No, I decided he didn't need details. Studying with Malfoy can be hard enough I don't need Reggie deciding I can't go or something."

A few days later the examiners for the OWLs had arrived and Eleanor, Cynthia and Susan watched with trepidation as they were greeted by the teachers.

"They look strict," Cynthia whispers to the others.

Their first exam was charms, after breakfast the fifth and seventh years, Reggie waved happily to Eleanor as he passed, milled about in a small room off of the Great Hall before they were called back in and discovered that in place of the usual long house tables individual desks all facing the examiners were now in place.

After the charms practical had finished Eleanor left Cynthia and Susan to do their own studying and hurried up to the library where she and Malfoy spent the night studying for the transfiguration exam the next day.

It had been awkward at first, for Eleanor at least, Malfoy was still acting normally unaware of the conflicting emotions bubbling within Eleanor, but she kept finding herself blushing and remembering how soft his lips had felt against hers in her dream and wondering if they really felt like that.

"Can you please focus?" He hisses at her when she again loses herself in staring at his face. "I would really enjoy being able to do alchemy next year and I need top marks if I want that to happen."

"Yeah, sorry."

"I know I'm gorgeous but you need to pick your moment."

"Oh shut up Malfoy."

The transfiguration exam the next day went wonderfully in Eleanor's opinion, as they filed out of the Hall for lunch she looked around until she caught Malfoy's eye who nodded slightly in her direction, his usual smirk playing on his mouth.

"You know, as big of an ass as he can be. I can see why you dreamt about him, he is rather handsome," Susan says to Eleanor, catching her looking at Malfoy.

"What?" A voice says behind them.

Turning around Eleanor finds Reggie standing behind them, coming over to ask how she had done.

"_He's_ the guy?!" Reggie asks, his face contorting with anger.

"I'm gonna go," Susan says, "Sorry." She whispers to Eleanor before walking away, glancing back to keep an eye on her friend from a distance.

"You said you were okay with that, it didn't change anything and that you understood."

"Yeah that was when it was just another guy and not that ass who you conveniently happen to spend a lot of time with."

"Excuse me? I don't actually like him and we only spend time together to study."

"I'm sure."

"You think I'd do that? You think I'd hook up with Malfoy behind your back? You have no trust in me." The last part isn't a question and, looking in his eyes Eleanor can see she is right.

"Can we just stop arguing for a minute," he says, glancing around at the students doing their best to ignore their hushed conversation.

"You're the one who got angry at me."

"What did you expect?"

"I didn't expect that it would matter _who_ it was."

"Well it does. Look, can you just promise that you'll stop spending time together? The exam is done now you don't need him anymore."

"The Potions exam hasn't been yet so no, I can't promise that and even if I could maybe I wouldn't want to. I won't be told who I can and cannot spend my time with."

"So you want to spend time with a person as rude and arrogant as that?"

"You are sometimes. Rude and arrogant, do you remember how you were to George? I didn't ditch you did I?"

Something in his eyes becomes shuttered and withdrawn at the reference to George, and without another word he turns on his heel and storms away.

Upset at herself and at Reggie Eleanor decides to skip lunch and makes her way out of the Hall to pass time until the practical in the common room. In her hurry to escape she doesn't notice Malfoy who had watched their confrontation with avid attention.


	21. Chapter 21

The weekend after the Transfiguration exam Eleanor spent with Cynthia and Susan in the common room. They had returned there on Friday night to find Eleanor in tears hidden under her covers, Ollie curled up in her lap and Cynthia was told about the dream.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because Reggie is your brother, I didn't want to put you in some awkward position and make you choose. And I hate myself for it, I hate that I betrayed him I know I'm in the wrong-"

"El, you're my best friend. Reggie might be my brother but that doesn't mean he's my priority. I choose my friends and family and his attitude towards George, not to mention the fact that he wrote home to my parents who are now threatening disowning me because he's told them all these lies about George, makes him about as much family to me as Filch."

"So, is it over?" Susan asks, holding up some chocolate for Eleanor.

"I don't know, he just walked away. But he wanted me to stop spending time with Malfoy, and I told him even if I didn't need to study with him I wouldn't promise, that must've made him mad."

"Promise _me_ something? No matter the boy any of us are with, you will always tell me what's going on?" Cynthia says.

"I promise."

"And trust me El, if he breaks up with you then he's the one losing out, and you can do so much better," Susan says firmly.

Despite their comforting Eleanor still felt awful for much of Saturday and Sunday, anxiety for her exam on Monday building up and though she knew she needed his help to get the grades for alchemy, she dreaded the idea of studying with Malfoy knowing it would only upset Reggie and feeling guilty because she knew when they were together her mind would be taken off of him.

"Come on Eleanor, there's no point avoiding him just because Reggie wants you to. Go. Study with Malfoy and tomorrow you will ace this exam." Cynthia says, pushing her out of the door of the common room. "I'll drag you the whole way up there if I have to."

"Okay okay I'm going." A small smile tugs at her mouth at how amazing her friend is and she stops resisting, adjusting her grip on her potions books before heading up to the library where Malfoy is there waiting.

"I didn't know if you were going to come or not," he says, a little too softly for it to be normal.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because your boyfriend doesn't want you here. For some reason."

"You saw that huh?" She asks, sitting on one of the lounges tucked away in the library, deserted except for them.

"Yeah."

"Is that why I've been here for a whole minute without you cracking a smart ass joke or teasing me?"

"Just thought you could use a break tonight."

"No. I just need you to be yourself. No special treatment, and promise you won't let me fall asleep before we get all this revision done."

"I can do that," he smirks, opening the first book for them to begin.

"I'm never going to get this," Eleanor groans over an hour later.

"Stop being stupid and you'll be fine."

"You're a real source of knowledge and encouragement," she bites back.

"Look, you already know this, you wrote about it in one of the essays from before christmas, you just have to remember."

"You helped with that, it's just me tomorrow."

"I didn't help with that, I checked it and suggested slight changes and things to include but I never actually fed you the answers. You're just stressed because it's an exam setting."

"And because this determines if I get into this class or not." She sighs, screwing up her face in frustration. "Can we just take a five minute break?"

They lean back against the lounge, setting aside the books. "Why _do_ you want to do alchemy so bad?" Malfoy asks.

"It's stupid really."

"Not to you, it was enough of a reason you put up with me for a whole year."

"My mother took it. She excelled at it actually, the few times my dad let me visit my grandparents they would tell me all about how great she was at it, how it was her passion. I wanted to take it so that, in a way, I could get to know something about her, experience something she loved and that had been so important to her in her life."

"She died when you were little didn't she?"

"Yeah, a death eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, killed her a few months after I was born."

"I'm sorry," Malfoy says, sounding sincere for the first time since Eleanor had met him.

"It's fine, it's kinda nice to talk about it for once."

"I'm sorry you had to grow up without her though."

"I don't think anyone could have prevented it. She was so outspoken in the war, so determined to stop Voldemort."

Malfoy flinches a little at the name, "The death eater, Bellatrix. She- she's my aunt."

"I know."

"You-what?"

"I'm the daughter of a squib I'm not ignorant, I know the lineage of most of the larger pureblooded families."

"And you're still willing to sit here talking to me about your mother?"

"We don't choose our family, and we can't be held accountable for their choices and actions."

"Thank you," Malfoy says.

"Thank you, for listening that is."

The two of them spend a few more minutes chatting softly before returning to the work, a fresh energy within Eleanor helping her to move through the work with more ease and confidence.

As the night grew later they found themselves struggling to stay awake until Madam Pince found them ten minutes before curfew began.

"Off to bed the both of you, a good night's sleep is all you need for these exams." She says, ushering them out into the corridor.

They stumble together down the stairs and corridors towards their common rooms, Draco supporting a still sleepy Eleanor.

He walks her all the way past the kitchens and to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room.

"She's right you know, no more studying, just go to sleep and you'll do great tomorrow." He says, before turning to make his way back to his own common room, "Night Eleanor."

"Goodnight Draco," Eleanor murmurs, before tapping on the barrel and stepping into the warm light of the common room.

The potions exam passed relatively easily, Eleanor making sure to find Draco afterwards and signal to him that she thought she'd done well.

After that, the astronomy theory exam was nothing, and on Wednesday night Eleanor, Cynthia and Susan made their way up to the top of the astronomy tower with the Gryffindors to take their practical.

Halfway through the exam though Susan pointed out a group of people making their way across the grounds.

"Are they going towards Hagrid's?" Cynthia whispers.

A loud bang filled the air a few minutes later and the night air was lit up with flashes of red light as whoever was on the grounds tried to stun Hagrid.

"What's happening?"

"Umbridge most likely," Eleanor replies staring transfixed at the scene below.

Another figure ran out of the castle, "How dare you," she shouted as she ran. "Leave him alone I say."

The three of them and several others screamed when all of the shadowy figures turned in unison and shot a number of stunning spells at McGonagall, casting an eerie red glow around her as she was picked up off the ground with the force before dropping down, unconscious.

There was nothing to be done from so high up, and no one worked on the end of their exam before they were dismissed and returned to their common room.

They sat up for a while, discussing amongst themselves what they'd seen before Eleanor decided to go to bed and sleep before their last exam, History of Magic, the next day.


	22. Chapter 22

The sun had begun to set when Eleanor, Cynthia and Susan burst from the castle doors the next day, their OWL exams behind them and no need to worry about the results until the holidays.

Making their way down to the edge of the lake they find a comfy place to settle and sprawl out on the grass, basking in the warm air and freedom.

"Can you believe we have to go through this all over again when we do our NEWTs?" Susan sighs, staring up at the pink clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

"Yeah except it won't just be the classes we take next year that they determine, but the jobs we can have." Cynthia says, picking at a strand of grass.

"Let's not think about that right now okay? Just be happy we got through these ones." Eleanor says, joining Susan in examining the sky.

"Have you heard from-"

"No. And I still don't know if that's good or bad." Eleanor says, interrupting Cynthia from finishing her question.

"What are you all doing over summer?" Susan asks, steering the conversation in a new direction. "I'm visiting my aunt at the start of the holidays and then mum and dad are taking me overseas somewhere."

"Sounds fun, I'm just spending the summer at home probably, shouldn't be too bad though. Harper is coming home from school for the summer, she wasn't there at Christmas and out of all my sisters she's the one I get along with the best." Eleanor says.

"She's only a few years younger than you isn't she?"

Eleanor nods silently, Harper had been born only two years after Eleanor, and this summer she would be turning 15. Even though their birthdays were a month apart they celebrated them together since Eleanor was always back at Hogwarts when hers came around.

"Well, I'm not going home this Summer," Cynthia says, sitting up against a nearby tree. "I told you how Reggie had been telling my parents all these stupid things about George? Well, after he and Fred left Hogwarts I was told that there was no way such a foolish boy was suitable for me and that if I refused to listen to them they would have nothing to do with me."

"What?" Exclaims Eleanor, sitting up to comfort her friend, "Where are you gonna go instead?"

Cynthia shrugs slightly and her face turns red, "George said I can go and stay with him. He and Fred have a place above their shop in Diagon Alley, and his mother also wrote to me and told me that I was always welcome at their house."

"Aww, Cyn I'm sorry your parents aren't more supportive," Susan says, sitting on the opposite side of Cynthia.

They had just been about to get up from the ground and head inside to the common room when Eleanor spies Hermione hurtling along the path out of the castle, Harry and Umbridge following close behind.

"What on earth is that about?" She asks, pointing towards the unlikely group.

"Whatever it is I don't like it," Susan murmurs.

Eleanor and Cynthia decide to follow them to the edge of the forest where they agree to wait and see if they come out while Susan hurries into the castle to alert another teacher and try to find out what she can.

"Maybe she's finally snapped and is taking them into the forest to get rid of them?" Cynthia says, staring apprehensively into the dark trees.

"I doubt that, she's horrid enough but even she'd be hard pressed explaining away the deaths of two students to the minister and the public," but Eleanor wasn't quite so sure she was right.

"Do you think we should go in after them?" Cynthia whispers a few moments later.

"No way, not only do we not stand a chance of finding them, but we don't know what else is living in there that could find _us_."

"Yeah you're right I guess."

The two of them remain standing restlessly by the edge of the forest waiting for some word from Susan when a group of students run out of the castle and make their way down to them.

As they get closer Eleanor can make out the faces of Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna. All of them looking the worse for wear.

"What happened to you?" Eleanor exclaims.

"Long story, what are you doing out here?"

"We saw Umbridge, Hermione and Harry go into the forest so Susan went back into the castle to find another teacher and find out what's happening."

They explain Harry getting caught in Umbridge's office and that someone was in danger if they didn't hurry.

"Can we help?" Cynthia asks.

"If you want, but we can't promise nothing will happen," Ron said, suddenly moving into the forest at the sound of movement further back in the trees.

"What about Susan?" Eleanor asks Cynthia before they follow him in.

"She's too far away to find, we'll just apologise for leaving her behind later."

Together the two of them catch up to the others who have found Harry and Hermione, Umbridge nowhere in sight. They had arrived just in time to hear Luna saying that they'd have to fly.

"Ron's the only one with a broomstick," Harry says, Ginny rounding on him suddenly.

"I have a broom!"

"Yeah but you're not coming," Ron says, anger colouring his voice.

"I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do."

Eleanor glances at Cynthia who shrugs and whispers, "Long story."

"We were all in the DA together," Neville input quietly. "This is the first chance we've had to do something real - or was that all just a game?"

"We all want to help," Cynthia says, stepping up beside Neville.

_Help with what?_ Eleanor had no idea what was going on, why there was so much urgency, how the others had ended up with bloody noses or what the hell the wanted criminal Sirius Black had to do with them all. All she knew was that they were getting involved in something very dangerous and her friend had just volunteered to be there with them.

As the group began arguing about how they were going to get to London Eleanor pulls Cynthia back to her.

"What are you doing?" She hisses.

"Helping. Putting everything we've learnt over this year to the test. We're going to do something good Eleanor."

"I don't care about doing something good, I don't care that some guy is in danger. All I care about is that you and I aren't doing anything that could get us killed."

"El, don't you get it, there is so much happening here. So much that will happen if _he_ really is back. Cedric would've done something, he wouldn't have stood around while Harry risked his life to save someone. And I don't want to either. You can go back to the castle if you want, I won't judge you but I'm going."

"Not without me you aren't," Eleanor snaps, "I might not care about whatever it is they're going for, but I refuse to let you go without me. Someone has to keep you safe."

The matter seemingly resolved they turn back to the group where the most bizarre scene was occuring. Harry and Neville appeared to be floating on the air while Luna went around to them all, helping them up onto whatever was there.

"Are they?"

"Thestrals," Cynthia confirmed, "Hagrid showed them to us at a Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

"Can you see them?"

"Yeah," Cynthia nods, moving forward to climb onto the back of one while Luna, smiling, takes Eleaor's hand and leads her to another, helping her to sit atop it.

Eleanor had read about Thestrals, she knew that you could only see them if you had seen somebody die. She'd lost her mother as a baby, at home in her cot safe and sound while her mother was out somewhere fighting, alone with no one to watch her back too busy with their meetings and planning.

It had never occurred to her that Cynthia would be able to see the creatures when she could not, but she did know that she would never leave her friend without someone to watch _her_ back.

"Are we all ready?" Harry asks, Eleanor glancing at the others around her who were also staring slightly horrified at the ground directly below them, knowing it would only be worse when they were in the air.

With a rush of wind the thestrals began to take off, at least Eleanor assumed they did because one moment they were just above the ground and the next they were streaking off above Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, the wind stinging her face and eyes as she clung onto the mane of the creature in her hand, moving her face lower until the raging wind eased a little and she thought to herself that she must be just above the neck of the creature.

The sun was nearly gone now, the sky a dusty purple as stars began to twinkle above them and pockets of lights spread out below them. They continued on through the darkness, the icy wind raging around them and biting at Eleanor's face.

She didn't know how long they had been flying for but her thighs were aching from clinging so tightly to the body she couldn't see and she didn't dare to adjust her position, knowing one wrong move could send her plummeting to the ground which was now barely visible.

A scream tore from her mouth when she felt herself slide forward a little while later, the thestral now heading downwards towards the ground where lights and buildings were becoming clearer. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the footpath which was approaching faster than she would have liked, bracing herself for a rough landing.

Someone touched her lightly on the arm and she opened her eyes to see Ginny, smiling tightly and helping her off of the thestral, who's breath she could feel against the back of her neck as they stood together and waited for some of the others.

"Come on," Harry called when the last of the group had their feet on solid ground. He led them over to a small muggle phone booth, everyone squishing themselves in as Harry conversed with the lady's voice that filled the space around them, badges clattering into the booth with everyone's name.

Eleanor Wicks - Rescue Mission.

"Are they serious?" Cynthia says, humour lacing her voice despite the situation as she took in the badges.

The booth began to move, lowering them gently underground and Eleanor soon found herself tumbling out onto the floor of the Ministry of Magic, a golden fountain drawing the eye to the centre of the room.

Knowing exactly where he was going Harry led them all past the fountain and an abandoned desk to the elevators at the back, everyone again squishing themselves inside.

"Department of Mysteries," A cool voice like the one from the phone booth announced when the lift lurched to a halt. Again they followed along behind Harry who knew exactly where he was going. Eleanor didn't pay any attention though, all her effort was on staying a step behind Cynthia, no more or less, no matter what happened they would not be separated.

They entered a circular room, surrounded by doors and it was here that Harry seemed to become lost. It became a game of opening each one and exploring inside before Harry determined it to be the wrong room and they would return to the circle where Hermione marked the door with an x so that every time they closed a door and the room began to spin, they would know what one's they had been through.

After several minutes of this Harry declared they had found the right door and continued through the dark until they emerged into a room that was filled with rows of shelves after shelves, all containing glass orbs.

Following Harry as they counted the aisles and then began looking for, she assumed, Sirius Black, Eleanor couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine, the kind she got when someone was watching her.

Every few seconds she would glance over her shoulder, occasionally swearing that she could see shadows moving in the dark.

"Cyn?" She whispered, tugging on her friends arm, but she was promptly shushed as Harry and Hermione, unable to find Sirius, were now staring at one of the orb's on the shelf.

"It's got my name on it," he said, reaching his hand out to take it. Everyone in the group stepped closer to get a better look at the dusty orb, even Eleanor despite herself felt curiosity getting the better of her.

"Very good Potter, now turn around and give that to me," a voice said from directly behind Eleanor, as she felt, rather than saw a number of people moving out of the shadows. Death Eaters.


	23. Chapter 23

Whirling around on the spot Eleanor found herself face to face with a pale, blonde haired man who, if she had to guess was somehow related to Draco. The woman who emerged beside him as she mocked Harry's demand for Sirius she had no trouble identifying, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Seeing the woman who had killed her mother in person turned the blood in Eleanor's veins to ice and she backed up slowly until she felt Cynthia's hand slip into hers.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," the pale haired man said, the group of death eaters around him still advancing slowly on the group. Slowly, not daring to draw attention to herself Eleanor slipped her hand into her pocket to grip her wand.

"Go on," Harry replied to a threat of the man's, raising his wand, and as he did so Eleanor watched as all of the others raised theirs with him. Eleanor couldn't believe what was happening, how they had ended up here surrounded by death eaters when hours ago they had been celebrating the end of their exams.

Bellatrix made an attempt to summon the prophecy that was in Harry's hand, but Harry was fast enough to shield himself and the man, _definitely a Malfoy_, Eleanor had concluded, roared at the woman not to break it.

Eleanor could feel the tense restlessness of the others around her as they prepared to do something, all they were waiting for it seemed, was a signal from Harry. Her hand gripped tighter on to Cynthia and she too pulled her wand from her pocket, holding it aloft in her hand.

A dozen spells were running through her head as she tried to think of what she would do when they acted. Their best chance was not to engage directly with the death eaters, but to cause enough of a distraction that they could escape, so she settled on one that would cause the most damage to the orbs and shelves around them, hoping Cynthia was thinking the same way.

"NOW!" Harry yelled and all around her Eleanor could hear the others shouting Reducto in different directions, shattering hundreds of glass orbs, all of which released white figures whispering their own prophecies into the air.

Sha vaguely heard Harry urging them to run and a tug on her hand told her Cynthia had turned and began to take off. Not needing any further encouragement Eleanor followed suit, holding her hand above her head to shelter from the debris falling from the shelves. She had lost Harry and the others, and, rounding a corner she found only Cynthia, Ginny, Luna and Ron, all of them breathless and unsure of their next move.

Behind them they could still here the death eaters pursuing them and they moved off again, Ginny pointing out a door to the left. Without consulting one another they all cram themselves inside a dark room where the only thing Eleaonr could make out were what she assumed were models of the planets.

"Eleanor?" She heard Cynthia whisper into the darkness, the strange sensation of floating descending on their bodies.

"I'm right here Cyn," she whispers back, reaching out into the darkness for her hand.

From behind her Eleanor can hear the death eaters stumbling into the darkness behind them, Ginny letting out a yell.

"They've got my foot," she says, and in the darkness Eleanor can make out her kicking and flailing against someone, to her right Ron is also illuminated as a spell hits him.

"Reducto," Eleanor heard Luna cry, aiming at the death eater who had a hold of Ginny, the girl let out a stifled cry of pain and Cynthia moved to catch her as she slumped to the ground.

Ron was now laughing at the planets, jokes streaming from his mouth and they could still hear more death eaters behind them.

Together, Luna and Cynthia helping Ginny and Eleanor close behind with Ron they made their way out of the room and through a doorway which led them back to the circular room from earlier.

"Ron," Harry called and they were relieved to find Harry and Neville holding onto Hermione.

"We have to get out of here," someone said, Eleanor couldn't quite make out who. With Luna helping Ginny who insisted she could do walk herself, and Harry leading Ronn, Eleanor found herself helping Neville with an unconscious Hermione across the threshold of another room just in time for Harry to seal the door shut.

The ones of them who could still walk and weren't talking nonsense ran around the room sealing as many doors as they could when Luna cried out before flying across the room as death eaters surged in through one of the doors they hadn't yet reached.

Ron chose this moment to point out to Harry that they were back in the brain room, pointing his wand towards one of the tanks, "Accio brain."

Everyone in the room, even the death eaters turned to watch the brain burst from the top of the tank and wrap itself around Ron who at first seemed unperturbed as it wrapped the things like tentacles around his arm. Moments later he was calling out for help, the tentacles wrapping themselves tighter around Ron, and none of the spells they shot at it could make the brain creature stop.

The death eaters, done watching this scene had shot several stunning spells into the room, one of them hitting Ginny and sending her to the floor, another one, silver light in the form of an arrow almost instead of the red light of a stunning spell, colliding with Cynthia who sprawls on the floor beside Ginny.

It was just Harry, Neville and Eleanor left now, the latter staring in horror down at her unconscious friend before shooting back her own spells in the death eater's direction.

She watched Harry run from the room, the prophecy held in front of him as he lured the death eaters away, Neville trying desperately to separate Ron from the brain.

She knew she should chase after Harry, to help keep him and that prophecy safe, or lend Neville a hand, but instead she crouched down beside Cynthia, checking her pulse and her breathing before rolling her onto her side. She quickly checks Ginny as well and finds Luna unconscious, moving her with a levitating charm to lie beside the other two girls.

Neville called out her name, telling her to help him and Harry but she motioned for him to just go, she would stay here with the others, Ron was still struggling against the brain as she racked her own for a spell they hadn't tried to pry it off him.

In the sudden silence of this room she felt panic welling up inside her, threatening to overflow and take a hold of her. But a look at Cynthia unconscious on the floor reminds her why she's here, why she can't just curl up and wait for something to happen.

A few more death eaters run into the room, on their way to the commotion caused by Harry and Neville.

_No matter what happened, they would not be separated_. Eleanor reminded herself, moving in front of the unconscious bodies and hurling stunning spells and body locking spells at the cloaked figures, somewhere in the distance she could hear the sound of the fighting escalating and wondered how Harry and Neville were still holding so many of them off.

She had just managed to dodge a nasty looking curse when the death eaters in the room were on the ground, unconscious, as Albus Dumbledore stepped in through the doorway behind them.

"Keep watch on your friends," was all he said to her before he made his way off into the next room where the sound of fighting had dimmed within minutes.

Eleanor let out a shaky breath and lowered herself to the ground beside Cynthia. Ginny was the first to stir, sitting up slowly, Luna and Cynthia following shortly after. The fighting seeming to have ended, though she could hear someone, Harry, she thought, yelling, his voice growing closer as none other than Bellatrix Lestrange ran through the room, sending a curse behind her that covered Harry in the liquid inside one of the brain tanks as he followed hot on her heels.

"Harry, what-?" Ginny called, gaining no response as he ignored them all.

With the fight clearly over, Eleanor watched silently as Neville, her old Professors; Moody and Lupin and a man she didn't recognise slouched into the room, helping to pry the brain from Ron and help Ginny and the others to their feet.

"We'll talk you all to the hospital wing back at Hogwarts for now," the man she didn't recognise said, introducing himself to her as Kingsley Shacklebolt.


	24. Chapter 24

Eleanor frowned down at the page in front of her as she walked through a nearly empty corridor, Susan beside her, reading the article over her shoulder.

_He who must not be named returns._

"They've certainly changed their tone haven't they?" Susan says.

"They're just ignoring the fact they've spent the past year slandering Harry for saying this very thing," Eleanor sighed in agreement, folding the page up and handing it to Susan to read.

Rounding the corner they find Reggie sitting outside the doorway into the hospital wing where they had been headed to visit Cynthia and the others.

"Did you want me to stay?" Susan whispered to Eleanor.

"No, go in and see Cyn, I won't be too long."

She watched Susan enter the hospital wing, turning to face Reggie once the door had shut again.

"You're not going in to see her?" She asked, deciding to ignore the fact they hadn't spoken to each other since their argument.

"I've already been in," He says softly.

"Soo you're sitting out here?"

"Waiting for you. I knew you'd be here at some point, once you got over the guilt."

"Guilt?" She asks sharply, taking a step back.

"Yeah, guilt. For playing at grown up, pretending you could take on responsibilities you know nothing about and dragging my sister into it all."

"Excuse me? It was her idea to go, she knew what she was getting into, certainly more than I did. I only went to try and keep her safe."

"Yeah and a great job you did there," he said, his voice rising in anger.

"At least I tried, and last I checked, you weren't there, volunteering to help, being chased down by death eaters."

She had obviously hit a nerve, when she pointed out that he hadn't been present as his face turned a fearsome red and, fearing they would be told off by Madam Pomfrey for arguing, grabbed her by the arm and led her down an empty corridor.

"I wasn't there because I was doing as I was told, keeping my head down for my last year of school. Like what you two should have been doing. Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, trying to show off for that ass and nearly getting my sister killed in the process, maybe now he won't think you're so boring."

The accusation felt like a slap in the face, in fact, Eleanor was sure she would have preferred it, "Excuse me? This is somehow about Malfoy now? Is your pride so hurt at being left out that you're going to say I dragged Cynthia off to fight some death eaters to prove to a guy that I'm not boring?"

"My pride is not hurt, not by the fact that you, like a child traipsed off in the middle of the night to fight a battle you couldn't win."

"I already told you, I only went to keep an eye on Cynthia," Eleanor snaps, her face inches from Reggies and she stares into his eyes, begging him to see how truly horrible she felt that Cynthia had been hurt, that she had not just wandered into danger out of childish curiosity and foolishness.

But there was no understanding or forgiveness in his eyes, he pulled himself to his full height and pushed past Cynthia back towards the hospital wing. "You're not visiting her, I don't want you in there and neither will our parents when they get here."

"Your parents have disowned her Reggie," Eleanor yells at his retreating back, "After all the stories you made up about George she was told to make a choice, and she did, thanks to you now, she isn't welcome home. Maybe instead of placing your blame with me, you should look to some of your own actions."

It was useless, he ignored her words and left her alone in the corridor where she waited for a few minutes before storming off in the opposite direction, hot tears stinging her eyes as she fought to stay in control of her emotions.

He would never keep her from seeing Cynthia, she would return in the middle of the night if she had to, until then, she sought silence and comfort, winding her way upstairs until she found the library, eerily empty now that exams were over.

Turning the corner around some shelves she makes to slide into her usual seat when she spots him sitting their, looking tired and slightly lost, his pale hair sticking up in a few places, leaving her under the impression he hadn't been sleeping.

She knew she should hate him, since that night she had learned that the man from the Ministry was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. He was in azkaban now, though no doubt, since the dementors had joined Voldemort it wouldn't be long until he was home.

All she could think though was that here was someone who, despite all the teasing and ridicule, had never seriously judged her for her actions, who had helped her whenever she had asked, and who had just lost his father to azkaban - nevermind why.

She remembered what he had said about Hufflepuff, all those weeks ago when they had been discussing the role of a friend, of being loyal to those you were friends with despite what was going on around them or how they acted to others.

She had spent the year defending Reggie, who, now she thought carefully, was the most arrogant person she knew, trying to force Cynthia and George apart, driving a wedge between her and their parents when that didn't work, always wanting things done his way.

Shaking her head, she stepped forward and took her seat opposite Draco, smiling at him when he looked up to face her.

"I'm surprised you're not yelling at me or something," he said, his voice soft, lacking it's usual drawl.

"I told you, the night before the potions exam, that we didn't get to choose our family. I know Bellatrix is your aunt, and I know it was your father in that room. I know who they're working for and I know that you were raised with their prejudices and ideals."

Draco snorts a little, shifting in his seat worried at the direction the conversation was taking.

"I also know that you are an ass to everyone because it's how you protect yourself from getting hurt, and that more than anything, you need a friend. Someone who is loyal and who defends you despite everything, because they want to, because they're your friend."

"Why would you be my friend? My own father chased you down a few nights ago for whatever reason, and clearly, I'm not about to ditch my family, even if it does put me on the wrong side of whatever war is coming."

"Because I did the right thing, I made friends with the nice guy, the guy who will fight against you-know-who, and he is now the most horrible person I know. I don't care who's in charge, who determines the fate of the world, all I care about is keeping my friends, keeping Cynthia and Susan safe because they're the people that care about me and who I care about. And I think you care about me too, even if you don't know or want to, but that makes you my friend now too."

"Eleanor," Draco sighs lightly, "When I go home this Summer everything is going to change. I- I'll probably have to do things for-"

"For Voldemort?"

He grimaces a little at the name but nods.

"You don't think I already know that? What I'm saying is I don't care, because I am your friend and I accept you."

They had spent the rest of the afternoon together, hiding away from everyone else who wanted to know about that night. They talked about their Summer plans and when they hoped to hear about their OWL results by.

Soon enough the sun had begun to set and Draco walked Eleanor down to the corridor that led to the hospital wing, leaving her there to return to his common room as she ducked inside quietly to check that Cyn was okay before sneaking out again to return to her own common room.

The end of the term approached quickly, Cynthia had been allowed to leave the hospital wing for the end of term feast and she found Susan and Eleanor immediately, filling them in on the argument she'd had with her mother when they had arrived to check on her.

"I'm still not going home," she said between mouthfuls. "But I don't think I'd want to even if they'd have me, George has written about how well the shop is doing and I can't wait to spend the whole summer with him before coming back here for next year."

Together the three of them found an empty carriage on the Hogwarts Express, ignoring Reggie when he passed by, Susan ducking out at one point to say goodbye to a friend of hers in another carriage.

"You'll come and visit right? Before the end of the holidays?" Cynthia asks, Eleanor as the train begins to slow when it neared Kings Cross.

"I will come and visit," she promised, noticing her friend's attention at the door and turning to see Malfoy waiting patiently outside.

"I don't mind by the way," Cynthia said when Eleanor got up to talk to him.

"Huh?"

"That you're friends with him."

"I thought you'd have an issue with it, considering his father was-."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not about to make friendship bracelets for him or anything but, you're happier when you've been to see him. And if you're friends with him and he makes you happy, than I'll accept him."

"Besides," she adds before Eleanor can open the door, "You're going to have enough people telling you off about him, you don't need another person adding to that."

Eleanor smiles at her friend, marvelling at how accepting she was before she opens the door and steps out into the hallway.

"I just wanted to wish you luck. For the OWLs results," said Draco, looking out the window as the platform appeared, she thought she saw a woman on the platform that resembled Draco, standing alone and apart from the rest of the crowd.

"Here," she said quickly, snatching his hand and pulling a pen from her pocket, scrawling an address across his hand.

"It's my address, write to me, let me know how you went," she smiles, pocketing the pen again and noticing his enquiring gaze, "Oh, it's like a muggle quill." She waves off his confusion, grabbing hold of her basket containing Ollie from the carriage, bidding goodbye to Draco before she and Cynthia made their way off the train together.

"Everything's going to change now isn't it?" Cynthia asks as they step onto the platform.

"I think so, but as long as we have our friends, nothing else matters," Eleanor smiles, turning away from the train for another year.


End file.
